We are waiting for the IOC's decision, this weekend, while they seek legal advice about the implications of a blanket ban. I just wanted to add my thoughts about this to the pot. It isn't a purely legal decision, it is also ethical, and it is about the future of the Olympic movement. Just my ideas, and please add your own in the comments.
Clean Russian athletes cannot speak out about their country's behaviour; have you seen what happens to dissenters? Russian people are seeing life through their own media mirror that only partly reflects the way that we see things.
The gymnasts can only speak through their performances. They are part of an international community of peers who support their participation in the Games. If Olympism is about promoting harmonious relationships and world peace, if what we are seeing on a broader level is the beginning of a new Cold War, how awful to isolate these individuals from their wider community and to deny them the right they have earned - through their own ethical and fair behaviour - to play their part in the world's Olympic movement, to create connections between Russia and the wider world, at a time when Russia is shrinking and drawing away from the international sports and Olympic community.
Would you deny press accreditation to Russia's most free thinking journalists on the basis of their country's poor record of censorship and press freedoms?
If Olympism is still alive and well, the IOC will take this opportunity to support the Russian gymnasts, and make it possible for them - all clean athletes, and demonstrably so, supported by their own international sports governing body - to compete fairly at the Olympic Games, under a neutral flag bearing the Olympic Rings. This would be promoting harmonious relationships between individuals from different countries. The power of the Olympic community to overcome divisive forces would be enhanced.
I wish I shared your optimism, but I have a feeling if it came down to a neutral flag the government would keep them home. As far as I'm aware there's already been drama over the track athlete being willing to compete neutrally, and that was just one person and one sport.
ReplyDeleteStep 1 is for the IOC to make a fair ruling, however. And it is the IOC who must police and provide a good example of Olympic values.
DeleteIf the Russian government then shoot their clean athletes in the foot for a second time, it is very clear who is making the call and who has 'stopped the Olympics'.
Queen E do you think that the original issue with Kuksenkov might shed a poor light on the support of gymnastics teams being excluded from any blanket ban? I do hope not but I know emotions are high and the tension worldwide is palpable even at the farthest reaches.
ReplyDeleteI personally feel mixed emotions right now. I can certainly support some form of sanction if the findings are accurate but I just cannot support a rash decision such as a blanket ban THIS close to the games where proper investigation cannot be completed in time nor decisions be cautiously mulled over in due time since time is of the essence now. I feel like such a coup should have been risen much earlier and not days before teams are to prepare for flights to Rio. It would not be right to issue a blanket ban now. Proper ethical decisions would lead the em to perhaps issue a ban on the NEXT quad but not for Rio. I feel heartbroken for the sports whose athletes are in NO way unclean in testing and who could suffer at the generality of such a decision. I feel personally like the harsh whip of the law should fall squarely on the powers that be who are responsible and not individual athletes. Best of luck for a favorable decision here.
-B
Kuksenkov was cleared by WADA so it shouldn't have any influence. Their mistake.
DeleteThe IOC has already said that sports competitions should be taken away from Russia - this is a significant national sanction which will have economic repercussions. Russian officials will not be given accreditation to visit the Rio games. These are appropriate as they reflect the national scale of the problem without disadvantaging clean athletes who have prepared for the Games for most of their young lives.
I think there should be a nominal 'blanket ban' but with exemptions where whole teams have clean doping records and where their sport's governing body and athletes' commissions support their participation.
Oh ok. I know he was cleared but since tensions are high I didn't know if any sort of doubt anywhere in the past might be unfavorable to the FIG's push to show IOC that gymnastics is 100% clean and clear. I certainly hope something like that wouldn't taint their view on the situation but it seems that rational thought here might not fully be in effect. I guess we will just have to cross our fingers and pray. Too bad there is no time for anyone to gather any sort of athlete or fan petition together so that the IOC had better representation before making such rash decisions. I cannot imagine a games where athletes cannot compete due to a ridiculous technicality and punishment for something they did not do. =(
Delete-B
Queen Elizabeth, they(IOC and WADA) are already changing the rules of the game during the game....it is not good omen, i think. Looks like Bach and in his face IOC is caved under the pressure from WADA, he's already sold clean russian athletes just because they are russian , and told to the world that if russian Athletics(Isenbayeva) want to be part of the olympic games they need to be judas like stepanova...This is the END of the de Coubertin OG, bcz now looks like juda won over common sense.
ReplyDeleteLyubov Andrianova gave an interview:
ReplyDeleteŠŃŃŠ¾ŃŠ½ŠøŠŗ http://stadium.ru/news/19-07-2016-lyubov-burda-andrianova-reshenie-ob-otstranenii-nujno-prinimat-ne-v-speshke-ne-za-57-dnei
She brought very a interesting point about the timing of the decision.
Ugh... now Putin dos not plan to meet whit russian olympians befor Rio... think bad omen http://tass.ru/sport/3470906
ReplyDeleteWell, I am Brazilian and I can tell you that the risk of an ISIS attack in Rio in Olympics is rather high, but authorities are covering it up to hinder panic. So maybe it's for the better for Russia to be banned, I don't want anything bad happening to Mustafina, or any other gymnast for that matter.
ReplyDeleteIf Russia is not allowed to compete it wont make sense even watching the gymnastic competitions. No Russia or Romania the games will be a complete bore its unfortunate but in the grand scheme of things I would understand if there is a blanket ban on Russia..
ReplyDeleteGod, let all will be well!
ReplyDeleteThe Olympics are a complex concept--harmony, unity, fairness, respecting something greater than yourself, honor, courage, doing your best, etc. Also, the country as well as the individual are glorified by Olympic participation and medals. The state-sponsored Russian sporting scandal tramples the Olympic concept in many (but not all) sports for the glory of the country. Russia should be punished on a large scale basis for this.
ReplyDeleteThe Russian ban should be by a sport-by-sport basis. Track and field should be banned. Probably swimming, rowing, and weightlifting as well. Russian flags should not fly at the Olympic venues of those sports. Clean athletes who can prove they are clean in this very short time should compete under a neutral flag.
There is no evidence of systemic doping in Russian gymnastics. Russia should be allowed to field gymnastics teams at Rio.
The idea of banning an entire country is one extreme. Banning individuals is too inefficient in light of systemic doping. Banning by sport is a fair and reasonable middle ground in light of the evidence.
Excellent writing. You should submit this as a brief for the court hearing on Thursday for the track athletes.
DeleteTodd
A very good read, and simple guide - see the final paragraph- https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/jul/20/russia-drugs-olympic-games-cas-key-questions?CMP=share_btn_tw
ReplyDelete'Russia will never take part in any boycott' says President of ROC Alexander Zhukov http://www.mercurynews.com/sports/ci_30148869/olympics-russians-expect-word-ban-by-sunday?source=rss&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=snsanalytics&utm_campaign=Contact+SNS+For+More+Referrer
ReplyDeleteThe full list of Russian Olympic team in all sports at Rio OG ( alt inc) http://olympteka.ru/olymp/rio2016/news/1367.html
ReplyDeleteThe more I think about this issue the more I believe that the whole idea of a ban on Russian athletes - from any sport - without evidence of that particular athlete being caught doping is plain wrong. This report from McLaren proves absolutely nothing. It raises lots of alarming questions and makes serious allegations which certainly need to be followed up but until there is clarity on the issues raised it shouldn't be considered proof. McLaren is convinced by his one star witness and various secret informers, whose names he won't reveal. He doesn't seem to be bothered by the fact that he has no input from the Russian side. However if you want to trust in McLaren's belief that there is widespread Russian state doping there is still no reason to ban the gymnasts who are not implicated in his allegations at all.
ReplyDeleteLet me preface by saying that I am an American but do not in any way agree with the USADA's attempts at swaying a decision that is above their stature in the world. Excluding Russia from
ReplyDeleteBoth WAG and MAG in Rio would be devestating to the athletes and to the sport itself. Russia not participating in the Olympics is really unthinkable, especially considering their world leading contribution to the sport. If the athletes are clean, they should be allowed to partipate. Punish the country, not the athletes who were completely uninvolved.
The end CAS killed russia chances for Rio http://tass.ru/en/sport/889693 P.S. rest in peace clean Olympic Games without politics.
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