Olympics - Russia banned from Pyeongchang Winter Olympics

[webfact]

Olympics - Russia banned from Pyeongchang Winter Olympics

By Karolos Grohmann

 

Samuel Schmid, Chair of the IOC Disciplinary Commission, and Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, attend a news conference after an Executive Board meeting on sanctions for Russian athletes, in Lausanne, Switzerland, December 5, 2017. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

 

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Reuters) - Russia has been banned from the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics after the IOC found evidence of an "unprecedented systematic manipulation" of the anti-doping system that has led to a series of suspensions for the country's athletes in recent months.

 

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) did not impose a blanket ban on Russia ahead of the Rio 2016 Summer Games but said on Tuesday that the evidence unearthed by the Schmid Commission made the doping situation impossible to dispute.

 

It therefore suspended Russia, which finished top of the medals table at its own 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, from next year's Games in South Korea that run from Feb. 9-25

 

However, in a bid to protect "innocent athletes" the door has been left open for Russians to compete as an "Olympic Athlete of Russia", as long as they satisfy strict conditions that show they have a doping-free background.

 

The IOC also decided to suspend Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) president Alexander Zhukov as an IOC member, while Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko, sports minister at the time of the Sochi Games, was also banned from any future participation at the Olympics.

 

Former Switzerland President Samuel Schmid told a news conference his report focussing on allegations of government involvement in Russian doping at the Sochi Games confirmed "the systematic manipulation of the anti-doping rules and system".

 

The results were not based only on testimony by Russia's former anti-doping chief-turned-whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov. There was also scientific evidence, witness statements documents and correspondence, he said.

 

"The facts are that in Russia there was systemic manipulation of doping and the anti-doping system... that also took place at Sochi 2014," added Schmid.

 

RUSSIAN APOLOGY

 

IOC President Thomas Bach said: "Today we gave the Russian delegation the opportunity to express themselves. In this meeting this afternoon the president of ROC (Russian Olympic Committee) has apologised.

 

"As a former athlete I am feeling very sorry for all the clean athletes who are suffering from this manipulation... but because we are allowing clean athletes to participate they can set about building a bridge for the future (rather) than erecting a new wall between Russia and the Olympic movement."

 

Zhukov described the IOC decision as contradictory. "There are positive and negative sides," he said. "The IOC has allowed all clean athletes in all sports."

 

Other Russians were more forthright, with Alexei Kravtsov, president of the Russian Skating Union, saying: "The decision is offensive, insulting and completely unjustified.

 

"I consider that this decision will deal a great blow to the whole Olympic movement."

 

Alexei Kurashov, president of the Russian freestyle federation, added: "The Olympic movement has discredited itself and there will be fundamental consequences to this.

 

"These are not the principles of Olympism. I can’t say that the activities of the IOC are honest."

 

"WELCOME STEP"

 

U.S. Senator John McCain, a frequent critic of the Kremlin, praised the IOC announcement.

 

"The International Olympic decision to ban Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympics is a welcome step in serving justice to Vladimir Putin’s government for its elaborate doping scheme in 2014," he said in a statement.

 

"Today's announcement sends an important message to Putin’s Russia that being a member of the international community means abiding by rules, norms, and standards - and that anything less will not be tolerated."

 

The IOC's decision comes 18 months after it decided not to impose an outright ban on Russian athletes ahead of Rio and told international sports federations to decide individually on the participation of Russians at the Olympics in Brazil.

 

While all of Russia's track and field athletes bar one and the weightlifting team were banned from Rio, about 70 percent of Russia's original 387-strong squad took part at those Games.

 

Bach said on Tuesday, however, that the situation was different now.

 

"(Ahead of Rio) there was no opportunity to hear the Russian side and at the time of Rio it was mainly about the failure in the Moscow lab. Now it's about the manipulation of an Olympic lab. The conditions then and now are totally different."

 

SCHMID REPORT

 

The Schmid report said the IOC had "not found any documented, independent and impartial evidence confirming the support or the knowledge of this (anti-doping manipulation) system by the highest State authority" after Richard McLaren's independent report for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had said the Russian government and secret service were involved.

 

McLaren's report in 2016 found more than 1,000 Russian competitors in over 30 sports had been involved in a conspiracy to conceal positive drug tests over a five-year period.

 

In the last month, the IOC’s own commission has banned more than 20 Russian athletes from the Olympics for life over doping violations at the Sochi Games, while the country's athletics federation remains banned from that sport.

 

McLaren welcomed Tuesday's decision, saying: "By holding Russia accountable for its actions, which date back at least to the (2012) London Games and continued through the Sochi Games, the sports community is demonstrating its commitment to ensuring athletes benefit from an even playing field and drug-free competition.

 

"This decision further confirms the conclusions of my investigation, and I wish to thank all those who helped me with my work -- some of whom did so at great personal risk."

 

World Anti-Doping Agency president Craig Reedie said the IOC had taken an informed decision to sanction Russia for its involvement "in institutionalized manipulation of the doping control process before, during and after the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games".

 

Travis Tygart CEO of the United States Anti-Doping Agency said: "Over the past three years, a high stakes game of chicken has been played between those willing to sacrifice the Olympic ideals by employing a state-directed doping programme to cheat to win and, on the other side, athletes unwilling to stand silent while their hopes and dreams were stolen and the Olympic Games hijacked.

 

Today the IOC listened to those who matter most – and clean athletes won a significant victory."

 

The decision comes seven months before Russia hosts the soccer World Cup, though Bach declined to comment on what, if any, impact Tuesday's decision might have on that tournament.

 

(Writing by Mitch Phillips in London; Additional reporting by Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber and Vladimir Soldatkin in Moscow, Brian Homewood in Lausanne and Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Ken Ferris)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-12-06

[selftaopath]

Fantastic. Cause/Effect/Behavior/Consequences 

[stevenl]

Finally, they should have been banned 2 years ago already after their stunt in Sotsji.

[Samui Bodoh]

42 minutes ago, webfact said:

Other Russians were more forthright, with Alexei Kravtsov, president of the Russian Skating Union, saying: "The decision is offensive, insulting and completely unjustified.

 

"...The decision is offensive, insulting and completely unjustified...."

 

No, your cheating is offensive, insulting and completely unjustified.

 

Idiot.

[mercman24]

i read the Russian government are defending the athletes caught doping, YES of course they are as they were behind this problem in the first place, cheating glory hunters.

[FreddieRoyle]

It has long been my opinion that in sport, doping is fine. All can do whatever they want to enhance their performance. As we can see, the vast majority of sportsmen(if not all) use performance enhancing drugs and take crazy measures to pass dope tests. It is a farce. Look at Mr Clean in cycling Lance Armstrong - but he wasn't clean was he? In bodybuilding Mr Clean was Arnie - also a steroid freak. Let them do whatever they want and it creates a level playing field. Beta blockers for dartsmen, snooker players and shooters etc is fine, just as steroids for track and field is all part of a normal training program. Honestly if someone competed fairly they would be left at the starting post.

[craigt3365]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Alexei Kurashov, president of the Russian freestyle federation, added: "The Olympic movement has discredited itself and there will be fundamental consequences to this.

That's the Russian way. Get caught doing something wrong then threaten those who caught you.

 

Horrible news for the clean athletes.

[DavidB4]

Didn't happen, Trump asked Putin 3 times and each time he said it wasn't them. 

[craigt3365]

5 minutes ago, FreddieRoyle said:

It has long been my opinion that in sport, doping is fine. All can do whatever they want to enhance their performance. As we can see, the vast majority of sportsmen(if not all) use performance enhancing drugs and take crazy measures to pass dope tests. It is a farce. Look at Mr Clean in cycling Lance Armstrong - but he wasn't clean was he? In bodybuilding Mr Clean was Arnie - also a steroid freak. Let them do whatever they want and it creates a level playing field. Beta blockers for dartsmen, snooker players and shooters etc is fine, just as steroids for track and field is all part of a normal training program. Honestly if someone competed fairly they would be left at the starting post.

That's a horrible thing to say. If they competed fairly, you'd have a fair race! All based on training and personal skills. Not drugs that harm your body.

[FreddieRoyle]

29 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

That's a horrible thing to say. If they competed fairly, you'd have a fair race! All based on training and personal skills. Not drugs that harm your body.

Yes I agree with you in theory BUT how do you propose to eliminate all doping from sport? It is like the war on drugs, you just can't win. By legalizing all sport doping you do create a level playing field. That is my point. Of course IF you could 100% stop all doping in sport then that would be better, but I suggest that is impossible. It's not as if we didn't try but let's get real and level the playing field. 

[craigt3365]

2 minutes ago, FreddieRoyle said:

Yes I agree with you in theory BUT how do you propose to eliminate all doping from sport? It is like the war on drugs, you just can't win. By legalizing all sport doping you do create a level playing field. That is my point. Of course IF you could 100% stop all doping in sport then that would be better, but I suggest that is impossible. It's not as if we didn't try but let's get real and level the playing field. 

Olympic officials are doing an ok job. It's not easy. But much better than letting athletes ruin their lives by taking drugs. Impossible to allow that.

 

Let them do the best job they can. Which they are.

[ilostmypassword]

I think athletes ought to be allowed to dope and advertise what they're using on their Jerseys just as other athletes do.

[selftaopath]

1 hour ago, craigt3365 said:

That's the Russian way. Get caught doing something wrong then threaten those who caught you.

 

Horrible news for the clean athletes.

That's also what 45 accused Liar in Chief does eh?

[klauskunkel]

No, don't ban them. They could compete in their own arena: Dope-Olympics. I would watch that.

Edited December 6, 2017 by klauskunkel

[Tchooptip]

1 hour ago, klauskunkel said:

No, don't ban them. They could compete in their own arena: Dope-Olympics. I would watch that.

[Ulic]

2 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

Olympic officials are doing an ok job. It's not easy. But much better than letting athletes ruin their lives by taking drugs. Impossible to allow that.

 

Let them do the best job they can. Which they are.

Complete BS as far as I am concerned. Thomas Back and Craig Reedie moved heaven and earth

to smooth the way so Russian athletes were able to compete in Rio. They both have there heads

so for up Putin's arse it is astonishing. They represent the very worse of Olympic corruption and

cover up.  They both need to be chased out with pointed sticks. The officials that are heroes in this 

story are Richard McLaren and Samuel Schmid. Hell ,Thomas Bach is still trying to explain how he

failed to ban Russia from Rio. "We didn't have Russia's side of the story". Absolutely ridiculous.

[Get Real]

Hope when Russia gets banned, there also going to be another big power country that is also going to be banned. We all know what country that is.

[craigt3365]

20 minutes ago, Get Real said:

Hope when Russia gets banned, there also going to be another big power country that is also going to be banned. We all know what country that is.

China did some dodgy stuff for their Olympics. Research the birth certificate scandals.

[Dustdevil]

Somehow I knew this outcome would occur. No, I'm not clairvoyant. And don't call me Claire!

[Morch]

5 hours ago, FreddieRoyle said:

It has long been my opinion that in sport, doping is fine. All can do whatever they want to enhance their performance. As we can see, the vast majority of sportsmen(if not all) use performance enhancing drugs and take crazy measures to pass dope tests. It is a farce. Look at Mr Clean in cycling Lance Armstrong - but he wasn't clean was he? In bodybuilding Mr Clean was Arnie - also a steroid freak. Let them do whatever they want and it creates a level playing field. Beta blockers for dartsmen, snooker players and shooters etc is fine, just as steroids for track and field is all part of a normal training program. Honestly if someone competed fairly they would be left at the starting post.

 

Look at Mr Clean in cycling Lance Armstrong - but he wasn't clean was he?

 

And things didn't work out all that well for Armstrong when the truth came out.

[richard_smith237]

4 hours ago, ilostmypassword said:

I think athletes ought to be allowed to dope and advertise what they're using on their Jerseys just as other athletes do.

 

The risk of allowing Athletes to 'dope' would destroy sports, the extremes athletes would be forced to go to and ultimately allowing the pressures of their business drive their artificial enhancement would place them at significant health risk. 

 

The athletes will not be given a choice, they would be forced to take performance enhancing 'products' either through 'team pressure' or simply the pressure to compete. 

 

The only level playing field is no doping and strict controls... without these measures chaos ensues and ultimately those willing to risk their health win. 

 

Those who win become role models, something to aspire to, something our children look up to and aspire to be..... Doping is a contraction to sporting values, particularly the Olympics...  permitting any doping contravenes the most basic of sporting values.