Aussie discus thrower Dani Samuels has got used to being suspicious about drug cheats

DISCUS thrower Dani Samuels reckons no matter who stands on the Olympic dais next week the real winner of her event might not be known for 10 years.

Australian discus thrower Dani Samuels is competing at the Rio Games. Picture: Adam Head

DISCUS thrower Dani Samuels reckons no matter who stands on the Olympic dais next week the real winner of her event might not be known for 10 years.

Long before Mack Horton spoke out about drugs Samuels was having her say about the shady world of drug users in power sports.

Retrospective testing has caught 98 drug cheats from the London and Beijing Olympics and she senses the tradition will continue.

Dani Samuels in action last year.

“I have kind of always thought that the results in 10 years time might be different to what they are on the day,’’ Samuels said after arriving in Rio yesterday.

“It has always been there. But whoever is lining up against you is there. You just have to hope they will get theirs one day and it will come back and bite them on the butt.’’

Australia’s athletics team have strongly backed their swimmers drug crusade, branding it a bold step forward for sport.

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If anything, the track and field team has even more reason to feel strongly about the issue than the swimmers, for the athletics world has been among the most tarnished by drug users with Samuels sport of discus a perennial concern.

Samuels has previously spoken out about the need for drug users to be banned for life and you could almost sense her joy that others had joined the crusade.

“It is almost taboo to even say that with everything that has happened with Russian athletes being banned from the Games and the Paralympics. It is a good step forward for clean sport,” Samuels said.

“It gives Australians a better chance. We like to compete clean.

“I have people in my sport who have tested positive in my event in which I have competed against for the last few years. I fully support what people have said.

“Every now and then you see performances which you think ‘wow, that is absolutely insane.’

“Some performances have that cloud around them but others in a sad way have a cloud when they may be fair performances.

“We can only do our best and put our faith in the system and hope the cheating athletes get caught one day.”

Samuels believes she is in form and ready to shine in the Games but her personal best is 67.99m and she feels that a throw beyond 70m will be needed to win it.

Originally published as Aussie discus thrower Dani Samuels has got used to being suspicious about drug cheats