The Russian doping scandal continues.
Soviet track spikes, photo via Ebay
The IOC wants it over and the World Athletics is not sure what to do. How does one keep the second most popular country in global sport out of the Olympics? WA has taken a stand, and I’m confused at to where it is going.
The saga continues….
The bottom line is this…since 1952, sports has been weaponized. The Soviet Union and Bloc countries wanted to win, and the US and its allies want to win, each believing that a gold medal showed the superiority of their political system. Doping became involved in the late 1940s, and it was underestimated by global federations.
World Athletics has put a line in the sand, and they want Russia to get their act together. This means acknowledging the doping issues and coming up with a remedy.
RUSSIAN BAN
LAUSANNE (SUI): Russia’s ban from international sport has been upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport but it has been cut to two further years from the original four until December 16, 2022. The court confirmed there would be no Russian team, flag or anthem at the Tokyo Olympics, although individual athletes will still be able to apply to compete as neutrals. The World Anti-Doping Agency handed out a four-year ban last December and today’s news means it will now end in December 2022. Under the terms of the decision, Russia’s name will be permitted on uniforms at events such as the Olympics, but the words “neutral athlete” – or an equivalent – “must be displayed in English in a position and size that is no less prominent than the name ‘Russia”. WADA president Witold Banka said he was pleased his organisation won the case but added: “We are, however, disappointed that the CAS panel did not endorse each and every one of our recommended consequences for the four-year period we requested. These are still the strongest set of consequences ever imposed on any country for doping-related offences.”
MONACO (MON): World Athletics notes the decision announced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) today, regarding the Russian Anti-Doping Agency’s non-compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code (Code), to ban Russia from international sports competitions for a period of two years. For the sake of clarity, the decision by CAS today does not change the process that World Athletics has been going through with RusAF over the last five years. The World Athletics Council will consider whether to allow Russian athletes to compete again as Authorised Neutral Athletes in international competitions (including allowing up to 10 ANAs to participate in World Athletics Series events and the Tokyo Olympic Games) at its next meeting, in March 2021, or earlier if the Taskforce so recommends, based on the progress made by RusAF.
