In Russia's systemic doping programme, few Kiwi athletes have been affected like race walker Quentin Rew.
"Every international race I've done where they've been allowed to compete, I've finished behind them and 100 percent of them are dirty," he insists. "It's pretty frustrating."
Rew's not the only one frustrated.
Sports Minister Grant Robertson has met the World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) decision to reinstate Russia's anti-doping agency (RUSADA) with extreme disappointment.
On Friday, the WADA executive committee voted 9-2 in favour of lifting Russia's suspension, with New Zealand one of the representations that voted against it.
RUSADA's reinstatement has been met with widespread condemnation. Its failure to satisfy the two final conditions in their roadmap back to competition has undermining the integrity of WADA itself.
"A few years ago, we were saying we stood for the clean athlete and you can't say that today," says former World Anti-Doping Agency director general David Howman, now head of the Athletics Integrity Unit.
He believes today's decision ignores the athletes. New Zealand's anti-doping body was one of 13 countries that lobbied against RUSADA's re-instatement. Its goal is to ensure Kiwi athletes compete on a level playing field.
"We want to end up in a system that people generally believe in," says Drug Free Sport chief executive Nick Patterson, who believes the overnight decision shows that's not the case.
He thinks the International Olympic Committee's influence in WADA is too significant and Kiwi Howman agrees.
"What they wanted was to put it behind them, to say 'let's get rid of this whole Russian issue, let's start with a clean slate and take the money from Russia'."
Athletics could be set for the biggest shake-up, with athletes still banned from competition.
"There's going to be more pressure on the IAAF to admit them back into athletics," says Rew.
With that decision not expected until at least December, the world will continue to wonder who's a champion and who's a cheat.
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