Allen lambasts PTO response but applauds IRONMAN for Chartier test

Triathlon legend Mark Allen has rounded out his impassioned series on ‘Drugs and Triathlon’ following the Collin Chartier doping scandal.

Chartier was suspended for three years by the International Testing Agency (ITA) after testing positive for EPO in an out-of-competition doping test on 10 February 2023 and has said he started taking the performance enhancing drug in November.

PTO ‘pretty lame’

Six-time Kona king Allen has been typically forthright as he’s looked at many aspects of the case.

And in the fourth and final part, embedded below, he has contrasting views on the actions of two of the sport’s most significant organisations.

He had some strong words on the timetable of the response from the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO), calling aspects of it “pretty lame”.

IRONMAN deserve credit says Allen

But he does identify a “hero” in the shape of IRONMAN, arguing: “It was IRONMAN having the International Testing Agency (ITA) on their behalf manage their out-of-competition testing.

“IRONMAN is very proactive about this. They are funding and being in charge of doing out-of-competition testing. The PTO does not do any out-of-competition testing.

“It’s not a black-and-white situation here. There are other organisations doing testing of athletes – national governing bodies for example. Nobody wants the athletes to have to do double tests for the same thing.

“In my opinion… had they [IRONMAN] not been involved with this, Collin Chartier would still be racing.”