Jake Robertson speaks on brother's drugs ban - 'Anger won't help me'

Kiwi runner Jake Robertson says he's being tarred by association by his twin brother Zane's eight-year doping ban.

The New Zealand athletics community was shocked this week when Zane was slapped with the ban after failing an EPO test after an event in Manchester and then coming up with a convoluted plan to cover it up.

Yesterday Zane told the Runner's Only with Dom Harvey podcast he doped due to ongoing frustrations with the sport.

The brothers moved to Kenya in their teens to further their running career and it's where they are still based.

Jake, who lives with his wife and young son, took to social media to express his frustration at the impact his brother's decisions had had on him and his family.

"Am I angry and upset with my brother?" he wrote.

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"Absolutely. Am I pissed that I've been dragged into this, in a sense? Yes. I am pissed off. But anger won't help me and it's already taken me some days to try to put my feelings down on paper.

"I am not writing this in order to have anyone's approval or even in defense of my brother, but to clarify that I am my own person and in control of my own actions and life, and that alone. I am Jake Robertson. Not Zane Robertson."

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A post shared by Jake Robertson (@jakehtbz_robertson)

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He thanked friends and family for their support, and appreciated that Athletics NZ and High Performance Sport NZ were offering psychological and emotional support to his brother.

"His wellbeing and health is still of the upmost importance. I can't help feel disappointed though as I have been a victim of the fallout from this situation as I have lost out of a pending sponsorship contract because of it."