Olympic silver medallist Sonia O'Sullivan has slammed the lax rules on international eligibility that has allowed a flood of Kenyan athletes to represent Turkey in major competitions.
Fionnuala McCormack missed out on another European medal after finishing fifth in the cross country championship in Sardinia on Sunday, with Turkish pair Yasemin Can and Meryem Akda - both Kenya-born - taking first and second.
Norway's Karoline Grovdal came home third, with Romania's Ancuta Bobocel pipping McCormack for fourth.
It sparked fresh debate about the rules, with former Olympian Jerry Kiernan labelling the situation "a joke".
"It's a shame really that there are Kenyans so easily allowed to represent European countries because it takes away from the race," O'Sullivan told RTÉ after McCormack's disappointment.
Sonia O'Sullivan & Jerry Kiernan on the issue of nationality in athletics as Kenyan-born Can wins gold for Turkey https://t.co/mYFIkoOi9y
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) December 11, 2016
"I don't think they are legitimately running for the country. They don't live there. They haven't grown up there. There is no connection there.
"They are basically being paid to run for Turkey.
“Whoever made that decision, allowed that to happen in the IAAF when they made it, they’re not brave enough to distinguish between cases that are legitimate, where there’s reasons for people moving countries for refugee status or reasons other than going to be a part of a team.
“When you run for your country, you should'nt really be buying people from other countries."
Kiernan, who represented his country in the men's marathon at the 1984 Games in LA, had even stronger words about the loophole.
Sonia O'Sullivan calls for 'standardised approach' to drug testing https://t.co/mvYNVQwql8
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) December 11, 2016
He said:"The whole thing is a joke," he said. "For years the IAAF was very, very badly led. Lamine Diack was at the head of the association and there was all kinds of stuff going on.
"There was corruption, there was drugs, there was this easy ability to be able to switch from one country to the next.
"Those two Kenyans don't live in Turkey. They've probably never been to Turkey.
"They have no connection whatsoever with Turkey other than when they pitch up to these competitions wearing the Turkish singlet.
"They are not the only country doing it but they are the most blatant. They’re shameless.”
