EyebrowsRaised wrote:
Rapid ascent to world class running can and probably should raise eyebrows given history. However, there is no proof of wrongdoing. Openly suggesting it is slander and the moderators should not allow it. But this is LetsRun and journalism rules do not apply...
Keira D'Amato would be regarded as a limited purpose public figure in court. That is, she could be more easily defamed for false allegations made about her private life, than about her running or things related to her running. This is a carve out in the law that would apply to athletes who perform publicly. In the that case it would have to be proved that statements were made with knowledge that they were false, or with reckless disregard for whether they were false or not. So if the allegation were based on the observation that her improvement or performance had been out of the ordinary, even for an accomplished runner, false statements made about the possibility of doping would probably not be viewed as defamatory.
