to leave blank or not to leave blank?

a previous post discussed what the appropriate punishment for using performance enhancing drugs should be. i made an argument that was perhaps closer to the disciplinarian side of the spectrum, with a potential punitive measure including the stripping of any athletic achievements. one of the more curious consequences of catching and punishing athletes, especially if my hardline approach is implemented, is what to do with the newly vacated spot in the record books.

as we have seen with the Armstrong affair, the uci stripped armstrong of his seven tour de france yellow jerseys, without an alternative to take his place - leaving the wikipedia entries looking untidy to say the least.

was this the correct course of action? It is certainly an interesting approach to the problem. on one hand, by leaving those seven years without a winner, history will always recognize those years for what they were - rife with doping, scandal, lies, deceit, and a flawed champion. by replacing those years with the second place finisher, it would white-wash the issue, potentially leading to complacency in future generations of fans, spectators, and policy makers. on the other hand, you can not change events of the past by simply erasing them. additionally, if any athlete in the peloton was caught doping, should they also be removed from the records and shift the placings up as needed? should the payouts be redistributed following these shifts? what about some of the less direct financial costs, such as athletes getting contracts for the next season based on their finishes? it is a logistical nightmare that is not easily addressed, or able to satisfy everyone.

that said, some sports have indeed done this. for example, jared tallent, the aptly named race-walker from australia, was recently awarded the gold medal from the 2012 olympics, where he finished second to a russian athlete who later tested positive for a banned substance. with the newly acquired top podium spot, 4 years after the epic performance, tallent is now australia’s most decorated track and field athlete. in a sport that struggles to financially support its athletes, this will hopefully provide a welcome boost to possible sponsorship deals or post-retirement opportunities.

so, what do you think? should placements be re-awarded? should they be left blank? is there an alternate solution? comment below or join the conversation on twitter and instagram.