British athlete hints at foul play in Turkey's gold

ISTANBUL

AFP Photo

Lisa Dobrisky of Britain accused her fellow runners of cheating in the recent women’s 1500m race, which was championed by Turkish athlete Asli Cakir Alptekin, according to Daily Mail.

Dobrisky herself came in tenth, missing out on any chance of medaling, but claimed the race was not "on a level playing field."

"People will be caught eventually, I think. Fingers crossed anyway," Dobrivsky was quoted as saying.
The race was the slowest ever ran in Olympic history, with Daily Mail branding Cakir Alptekin's medal as "the cheapest gold of the Games" because of her 4:10.23 race time.

Cakir Alptekin responded to Dobrisky's claims by saying that they "reflected her personality."

"I took six tests in a month, before and after the race," Cakir Alptekin told daily Hurriyet. "I don't care what she says. These statements only reflect her personality."

Second place finisher and silver medalist Gamze Bulut also dismissed the British athlete’s claims.

"The British athlete failed to succeed in front of her people. Tens of thousands of Britons applauded us. She must have been jealous of that," the Turkish athlete said.

The women’s 1500m brought Turkey a gold and silver medal thanks to Cakir Alptekin and Bulut who both overcame their competition in the field.