MOSCOW – High jumper Brigetta Barrett sees a positive to the doping busts that have tainted the run-up to the IAAF World Championships beginning Saturday. “It could have been after worlds and after people have already gotten their gold medal,” said Barrett, the 2012 Olympic silver medalist from Tucson, Ariz. “Then medals have to be stripped and given to someone else that actually deserved it. “So now going into worlds, we’ve already kind of filtered out those people that don’t necessarily need to be there, so you can have more of a fair competition.” Decathlon champion Ashton Eaton, one of 20 Olympic medalists on a U.S. team composed of nearly 150 members, said every era has its dark moments. “People doped in the past,” he said. “There’s a shadow cast a little bit, and then you go back to doing your thing.” U.S. men’s coach Mike Holloway said Gay’s absence does not affect the team. “It’s an unfortunate situation, but everybody here is focused on the task at hand,” he said. The IAAF is offering prize money of more than $7 million, with $100,000 awarded for world records, but noted that prize money and bonuses are “dependent upon athletes clearing the usual anti-doping procedures.” more at USAToday
