Ex-marathoner Van Landeghem is seeking damages of 25,000 euros for incorrect dopingschorsing

More sport For the Brussels court of first instance has former marathon runner, Ria Van Landeghem, a provisional compensation of € 25,000 to be claimed from the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee (COIB). Van Landeghem was at the end of the 80s of the last century wrongly turned away from the Olympics and suspended after a drug test. The judgment falls on may 3.

The now sixty-year old Van Landeghem was created in 1988 after a positive doping test sent away from the Olympics in the South Korean capital Seoul. Just before the start of those Games were in the A - and B-sample of Van Landeghem by the antidopinglaboratorium of Seoul traces of doping were found. Van Landeghem was sent home and suspended for two years. the

Van Landeghem denied any doping, and was in december 1988, acquitted by an appeals committee of the Flemish Atletiekliga (VAL), due to correct procedural errors. In the spring of 1989 was that acquittal affirmed by the International athletics federation IAAF.

Recently revealed that the acquittal by the Flemish Atletiekliga not only based on correct procedural errors. The analysis of the dopingstaal did not meet the minimum requirements set in 1988 and common in the antidopinglaboratoria and so, if the steel in question is actually never found positive.
Despite the acquittal and its place in the top ten in the world has the COIB Van Landeghem at the time, during two years of the selection lists for international competitions.

Stigma

Only last year followed apologies from the COIB. Eventually, the athlete was still the COIB to sue and claim damages. According to her lawyer, she has, after all, lasting reputational damage incurred. the

"The stigma of dopingzondaar is hanging", pleaded master, Kristof De Saedeleer. "She was also all of its grants and contracts kwijtgespeeld.” Also would the COIB and former chairman Jacques Rogge her to continue to portray as dopingzondaar, despite the acquittal. the

Ria Van Landeghem is now demanding a provisional compensation of € 25,000, and the appointment of a financial expert.

Barred

According to the lawyer of the COIB is the case statute-barred. "Moreover, I do not see where the COIB in the error would have gone," said master Sébastien Ledure. "That finding was wrong, but that lab was not under the control of the COIB. The COIB also didn't know that the results on which the suspension are based, was erroneous.” The suspension would also had no impact on the career of Van Landeghem, " the lawyer said. the

The suspension also would not have impacted on the career of Van Landeghem, who afterwards took part in various competitions, " the lawyer said, who also contested that the COIB her to continue to accuse.