To go or not to go? Next week there will be a meeting of athletes in Moscow, at which they will have to make perhaps the most difficult and important decision in their lives - whether they will participate in the Games in PyeongChang next year. The night before it became known that the IOC had suspended the Russian team from participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics. In addition, $15 million will be collected from Russia, which will be used to create International agency doping testing. Many sports federations, including foreign ones, do not agree with such a radical solution to the fate of Russians.
Let us remind you that all accusations against Russian athletes are based on the scandalous report of WADA expert Richard McLaren. It reveals alleged doping violations by Russians. However, as it became known later, there are many inconsistencies in this document. But, oddly enough, for the International Olympic Committee it is the main basis when deciding on the fate of the Russian team.
Should our athletes take part in the Olympic Games under a neutral flag? We launched such a survey in our group VKontakte. We are waiting for your opinions.
How did the country and Ugra veterans of the Olympic movement take the news of the team’s suspension?
In terms of the number of television viewers, the broadcast from the press conference in Lausanne could even compete with the Olympic Games themselves. The international scandal has been going on for about two years. Not only Russia, but all five continents were waiting for the verdict.
“The Russian Olympic Committee is suspended from participation in the Olympic work, in the Olympics, starting from at this moment».
It cannot be said that such a harsh verdict from the International Olympic Committee sounded like a bolt from the blue. Such a harsh decision towards the Russians was even predictable. Previously, inspectors had already disqualified several dozen Russian athletes. In 2016, our track and field athletes were not allowed to participate in the Rio Games. The real drama unfolded last summer around the Paralympic team, which was suspended from the competition without any trial or investigation. Even the opponents were afraid that this situation would repeat itself at the games in Korea. On the eve of the meeting in Lausanne, sports federations addressed to the International Olympic Committee different countries began sending letters of support to Russia.
“We would like to clearly outline our position for the IOC that we are against collective punishment, as a result of which Russian athletes who are not involved in doping may suffer. “Clean” Russians must participate in the 2018 Olympic Games. Russia’s role in world sports cannot be underestimated; this country is the foundation on which the hockey heritage rests.” (Council of the International Hockey Federation)
Even the residents of Surgut suffered in all these scandals. The games in Brazil forced track and field athlete Pavel Ivashko to miss. Well, then track and field athletes Alexei Ashapatov, Anna Pimutkina, Vitaly Telesh and judoka Olga Pozdnysheva were suspended from the Paralympics. Moreover, right up to the opening ceremony, the athletes were literally in limbo and did not understand what awaited them.
I couldn't participate all year international competitions graduate of Surgut State University Alexander Legkov. And recently he was stripped of his Olympic medals and also disqualified for life. And all this - despite the impeccable reputation of the athletes and numerous doping tests, during which it is simply unrealistic to use prohibited substances for a long time and remain undetected.
“Scratches on the bottle - who saw them, these bottles, when they were given back, they were intact, now they became scratched? So this is their responsibility - the one who has kept them all these years. Even the President said - they handed it over according to the act. If something is transferred according to the act, it looks like the quality of something matches, it is decided right there on the spot,” he commented Olympic champion 1992 Evgeny Redkin.
Meanwhile, athletes high level are constantly under the close attention of WADA. They map out almost every step a month in advance so that at any moment, without warning, inspectors from the anti-doping commission can come to the athlete and take tests for testing.
“It turns out that you write the time interval, that is, you are in the city of Moscow, you will train in the Olympic pool, address, hours, from what time you will be present for training, you also write an hour a day where they can come, roughly speaking, and take an analysis,” said Oksana Verevka, a participant in the 2000 Olympic Games.
And now, after so many checks and investigations, the country faces a difficult choice. There will be no tricolor, no anthem, and no Russian team at the Olympics. Athletes will be able to participate in the Winter Games only under neutral status.
Foreign news agencies have already called these sanctions the most resonant in the history of the Olympic movement. Now Russian athletes themselves have to decide whether they agree to participate in the Games under such conditions. Or the country will decide, like almost a quarter of a century ago, to boycott now Winter Olympics.
Anastasia Aladinskaya
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has made a decision unprecedented in the history of the Olympic Games: Russian athletes at the upcoming Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, they will perform under the name Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR), which translated means “Olympian from Russia”. At award ceremonies for Russian athletes, IOC symbols will be used instead of the national anthem and flag.
The basis for this was the disqualification of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), which was held responsible for anti-doping violations committed during the Games in Sochi. Commenting on the decision, the President of the ROC Alexander Zhukov noted several positive aspects of this verdict.
The first is that the IOC did not give in to calls to ban athletes from the Russian Federation from competing at Olympic Games and permanently exclude the country from the Olympic movement. The second is that the word “Russia” will still be present in the name of the team and, finally, the third point is that the athletes will participate in team competitions. The latter is extremely important because until recently it was not clear who the Russian teams would represent at the Games in the event of the disqualification of the national Olympic committee. Thus, Russians will compete in hockey tournaments, curling, team figure skating competitions and relay races.
However, for this, all Russian athletes, without exception, will need to fulfill the requirements for admission to the Games, the main one of which is repeated doping tests. In addition, athletes who have already been punished for violating anti-doping rules will not be allowed to participate in the Games. However, this decision may still be challenged. Now, if Russian athletes agree to compete at the Olympics as “Olympians from Russia,” issues of their financing, equipment, accommodation at the Games and many others will be decided. Since the decision was made unprecedented, its consequences are now difficult to predict, TASS reports.
As the creative producer of Vesti.FM noted in a conversation with a Vestnik Kavkaza correspondent Georgiy Saralidze, the unprecedented decision of the IOC affects the entire system international sports. “Now we see that the IOC is crossing out all the rules that existed. Previously, it was simple: two doping samples A and B are taken from each athlete. If A gives a positive reaction to some prohibited device, then sample B is opened and tested in avoiding mistakes. If an athlete is caught, he will be disqualified, depending on the severity of the guilt, for a year or for life. Now these rules do not work: most of the athletes who are now disqualified for life and cannot participate in the Olympics have never been convicted of doping. before the Sochi Olympics, neither after nor during it,” he noted.
“They were disqualified because they were allegedly involved in some kind of doping system, which Rodchenkov is talking about and which the documents that were presented are supposedly proving now. There are simply no facts that many of these athletes took doping. And this means a change in the entire system: now, based on the testimony of one person and indirect evidence, any athlete can be deprived of a medal and disqualified for life. This is a new reality for sports,” emphasized Georgiy Saralidze.
There is no question of boycotting the Games, since Russia will not be represented as a country at the Olympics anyway. “Russian athletes will be presented there, who, I want to note, will be admitted by a special commission, and they will be called “invited athletes.” That is, the Olympic meeting on December 12 may say that it will boycott the Games, but these will only be words, there will be no actions. According to the law that exists now, and according to the Olympic Charter, the Olympics are not competitions of countries, they are competitions of athletes, and no one under any circumstances can legally prohibit athletes from going to these competitions. The question is what will be the reaction of society to the decision of the athletes to go. or not to go there?,” said the creative producer of Vesti.FM.
Sports TV commentator Nikolay Saprin, in turn, I am sure that the decision to participate in the Olympics should be made as a team. “Yesterday, Alexander Zhukov said that there will be another meeting of the Olympians on December 12, with the participation of coaches, athletes, and federation leaders. Probably, having gathered together in their professional narrow circle, they will make the final decision. At the same time, every athlete has the right to decide for himself, without looking at anyone, whether he will participate in the Olympics, because this is their life, their destiny and career, of course, if the IOC commission allows them to the Olympics, and individual admission will be very strict,” he recalled.
According to him, the IOC understands that it is radically changing the rules. “The decision was predicted, and, of course, the IOC, taking such a step, cannot help but understand that there is no going back, that this is an undermining of the Olympic movement in the pure form in which we usually understand and perceive it. For Western countries here and now that's the only thing the right decision, many people there agree with the removal of Russia, but next time such a decision may also affect Western teams. Since yesterday the Olympic sports life crossed a certain line, beyond which lies a completely different perception of reality and a completely different life for athletes,” concluded Nikolai Saprin.
Just like in the summer of 2016 in Rio, all attention is focused on court hearings. Then, let us recall, lawyers defended to the last the rights of some of our athletes to perform at summer games. Now the scale of the proceedings is even more significant. The visiting branch of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ad hoc, which is located directly in Pyeongchang on an expedited basis, is so overwhelmed with work that yesterday it did not have time to make a decision on two fundamental issues. 32 Russian athletes, including our stars and contenders for olympic medals in the person of biathlete Anton Shipulin, skier Sergei Ustyugov, short track speed skater Viktor Ahn and other iconic athletes, filed an appeal against their non-invitation to the Olympics. These cases were supplemented by 15 more statements from those Russians whom CAS had already found innocent of violating anti-doping rules and restored their results at the last Olympics, simultaneously lifting the lifelong disqualification from participation in the Games. All these applications will begin to be considered on the morning of February 8.
The situation is, of course, paradoxical. On the one hand, the International Olympic Committee long ago proclaimed CAS the highest authority in sports. Its decisions are binding, according to the Olympic Charter. But at the same time, the IOC itself is essentially violating this charter. After all, if we think logically, what problems could be caused by inviting athletes whose reputation has been completely restored, and whose guilt has been officially recognized as unproven by the highest sports authority? The athletes are clean, they calmly take part in the World Cups, World and European Championships, and other important competitions. International federations for specific sports have no complaints against them. But for some reason they are not expected at the Olympics? .
The head of the IOC in Korea answers questions from journalists on a daily basis. Today he held a press conference at the main media center. But the head of the Olympic movement could not tell us anything new. He only said that he hopes to receive a CAS verdict as soon as possible. And he denied the assumption that his department is putting pressure on the court.
Everything that CAS does is a completely different story, which does not concern the sanctions against Russia adopted by the IOC Executive Committee on December 5. They determine whether Russian athletes should be awarded the privilege of invitation to participate in the Olympics according to the Olympic Charter, Bach said.
At the same time, just a couple of days ago he openly regretted the acquittal of 28 Russians in CAS. And he threatened to reform the Court of Arbitration for Sport. What is this if not pressure? Especially considering that the IOC is one of the co-founders of CAS and its important, although not the only, financial beneficiary. The judges quickly caught the signal, declaring in response that they were ready to consider reform issues. So we can only guess how much these attacks will leave CAS free to make a decision that is very important for many of our athletes. I would like to hope that the investigation will still be objective. At least the day before in Sports arbitration court stated that no later than February 8, the IOC is obliged to provide written documents on the non-admission of Russians to the 2018 Olympics.
If the Russians' appeals to CAS are satisfied, they will be guaranteed participation in the Winter Games
Another important news is that any CAS decision made now will be final. If the Russians' appeals are granted, they will be guaranteed participation in the Winter Games. This was emphasized yesterday by the organization's Secretary General Mathieu Rieb. By the way, the only one who spoke to reporters on Wednesday with official comments from CAS. “There will be no other processes,” Reeb explained.
Meanwhile, it is getting noticeably warmer in Pyeongchang. After almost 20-degree frosts, which looked rather eerie in the complete absence of snow, the thermometer had already crept to “-7” the day before. Let's hope that soon it will become warmer not only outside, but also in our souls.
It was adopted on Tuesday at a meeting of the organization's executive committee.
The IOC is ready to allow Russian athletes representing both individual and team sports to the Games, but only under Olympic flag. Now the word is up to the Russian side - whether Russia will accept the IOC conditions will be decided at the Olympic meeting on December 12.
What did you decide?
“Individual Russian athletes will be able to participate in the Games in Pyeongchang under the title “Olympic athletes of Russia” and will compete in this uniform and under the Olympic flag, the Olympic anthem will be played at the award ceremonies. No member of the Russian Ministry of Sports will be invited to the Games,” - The head of the IOC began his speech with these words, perhaps at the most significant press conference in the history of the organization.
The IOC made its decision based on the work of two commissions, one of which - headed by - was engaged in re-checking doping samples of Russian athletes from the Sochi Olympics. As a result of her work, Russia lost 11 awards and lost first place in the team competition. The second commission, headed by ex-Swiss President Samuel Schmid, checked information about possible government interference in the Russian anti-doping system. Both commissions began their work after an investigation led by them into the substitution of doping samples of Russian athletes.
The results of the work of the Schmid Commission were first announced on Tuesday in Lausanne. The commission confirmed “systemic manipulation of doping during the Sochi Olympics”, but “did not find any documented, independent and unbiased evidence of support or awareness of the “doping system” by the highest state authorities of the Russian Federation.”
According to Samuel Schmid, such conclusions are based on various sources. “I would like to emphasize that the conclusions of our commission are based not only on the testimony of Grigory Rodchenkov, but also on other sources, evidence of correspondence, exchange of letters. There are also other types of evidence. Based on these facts, our commission made an appropriate decision. Our commission made a decision, that there was systematic manipulation of anti-doping rules at the Sochi Games," Schmid said.
“We have never encountered manipulation on such a scale, and this has led to unprecedented damage to the Olympic movement,” added the head of the IOC commission.
Who is punished?
The Russian Olympic Committee was disqualified, and the IOC membership of the president, who also ceased to be the head of the coordination commission for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games, was also suspended. The head of the organizing committee for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi was removed from the same commission.
Also, the ROC must contribute $15 million to the IOC for the development of a global anti-doping system. “The ROC must reimburse the costs incurred by the IOC in conducting the investigation and contribute $15 million to the development of the Independent Testing Authority (ITA) to create a comprehensive anti-doping system,” the IOC release said.
ROC may be restored before the closing of the games in Pyeongchang
The fundamental point is the possible restoration of the ROC’s membership in the IOC even before the closing of the Olympics in Pyeongchang. Thus, the Russians, starting their performance as “Olympic athletes of Russia,” can go to the closing ceremony under their flag on the last day of the Games and hear the Russian anthem.
“The IOC may partially or completely lift the suspension of the ROC by the beginning of the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, provided that all requirements put forward to the ROC, participants of the 2018 Games and officials are met,” the IOC said in a release.
“We expect that already at the closing ceremony in Pyeongchang our team will march under the Russian flag, and with this we will close this topic altogether, turn this page forever,” the head noted.
Who will be allowed in?
According to the IOC decision, only those athletes who have not previously been accused of doping will be able to take part in the Olympics. At the same time, the decision on who will go to the Olympics will be made by a special commission, headed by the head of the ITA, Valerie Fourneyron. One commission member will be appointed by WADA, one by the DFSU (Doping Free Sport Unit) and one by the IOC (Richard Badgett, head of the IOC Medical Department).
Athletes who have qualified for the competition, have not been disqualified or suspended for violating anti-doping rules, and have passed doping testing recommended by the working group will be able to apply for participation in the Games.
Also in Pyeongchang, the redistribution of medals from the 2014 Olympics in Sochi will take place; it will be carried out during the corresponding ceremonies during the Games. “As a former athlete, I express my deepest regrets and sympathize with all the “clean” athletes who suffered during the manipulation. The redistribution of medals will be carried out during the appropriate ceremonies at the PyeongChang Games,” Bach said.
First Russian assessment
"The IOC has made an important and controversial decision, which includes positive aspects and negative,” Zhukov said. - The IOC has admitted all “pure” athletes from Russia in all sports. The second positive point is that it will be called olympic athletes Russia. Negatives- our athletes are invited to perform under the Olympic flag and without the anthem. True, this restriction applies until the last day of the Olympics. It is expected that all restrictions will be lifted before the last day of the Olympics, and then Russian athletes will be able to participate in the ceremony under their own flag."
“The key point is that all sanctions against Russia, all investigations are stopped from this moment. This decision has no precedents in Olympic history. It's tough. But I think that our figure skater’s performance before members of the IOC Executive Committee played a role. Everyone Russian teams allowed to participate,” added the head of the ROC.
The IOC announced its decision, now the Russian side has the say. “The sports community will have to discuss the decision at the Olympic meeting on December 12, discuss it with the participation of all athletes and coaches and make their decision on the conditions of participation in the Olympics,” Zhukov noted.
"The Olympic boycott has never led to any results. I see no reason for a boycott from outside Russian athletes, since we allow “clean” athletes to participate, and this will show the presence of “clean” athletes in the Russian Federation. These clean athletes can build bridges to the future of clean sports,” said Bach.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed Russian athletes to participate in the 2018 Olympics under a neutral flag. This was reported on the IOC website.
Russians at the 2018 Olympics will be presented as “Olympic Athletes from Russia” (OAR), the IOC notes. They will compete in sports uniform with this inscription and under the Olympic flag. During the awards ceremony, the Olympic anthem will be played, not the Russian one. The final decision on the admission of a Russian athlete will be made by a special commission of representatives of WADA, DFSU (Doping Free Sport Unit) and the IOC.
Former Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko and his former deputy Yuri Nagornykh have been permanently banned from participating in all future Olympics in any capacity, the IOC said. Former general director of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee Dmitry Chernyshenko (also general director of Gazprom Media) from the coordination commission of the 2022 Winter Olympics, it is said there. And that’s not all: not a single employee of the Russian Ministry of Sports will be able to be accredited for the 2018 Olympics, and the President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Alexander Zhukov has been suspended from participation in the IOC.
In addition, the IOC ROC will transfer $15 million to create a global anti-doping system. The ROC will have to reimburse the IOC for expenses incurred by the committee due to investigations related to doping by Russian athletes.
The IOC decision was made by consensus, said IOC President Thomas Bach, Interfax reports.
The neutral flag (also called white) is the Olympic flag with five rings. Russian athletes have already performed under a neutral flag - as part of a unified team in 1992 at the Winter Olympics in Albertville and the Summer Games in Barcelona. Then the united team included athletes from the former republics of the USSR, which collapsed in December 1991. Unofficially, the team was called the “CIS team.” On summer olympics She took first place in the overall medal standings, and second in the winter medal standings, winning Olympic gold in hockey.
Reaction
Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov did not answer Vedomosti’s question whether the Kremlin will give recommendations to Russian athletes regarding their participation or non-participation in the Olympics in Pyeongchang on the terms proposed by the IOC.
Earlier, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that the Kremlin will remain silent until the official decision of the IOC. The possibility of a boycott of the Olympics is not being discussed, Peskov noted.
A representative of Channel One declined to comment on whether the channel will now broadcast the 2018 Olympics. VGTRK confirmed that it will not show the Olympics without the national team. A representative of Gazprom Media (which manages the sports channel Match-TV) said that the Olympics without Russian athletes would not be so interesting to viewers, and declined to make any other comments.
Background
At the meeting on Russia’s admission to the Olympics, the IOC will consider the conclusions of two commissions that were created to study the data of the independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on doping in Russian sports. One, under the leadership of Swiss lawyer Denis Oswald, is rechecking doping samples from the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The other is investigating the involvement of the Russian Ministry of Sports in the doping system in Russia.
In mid-November, WADA upheld the disqualification of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), whose accreditation was revoked in 2015. One of the main demands for Russia is to unconditionally accept the conclusions of the McLaren Commission on the existence of a state doping system. The Russian side did not comply with it. Russian President Vladimir Putin blames Russia for the upcoming elections.
Where it all started
Three years ago - in December 2014 - ARD was released on the German TV channel documentary“Top secrets of doping: how Russia produces its winners.” In it, former chief specialist of RUSADA Vitaly Stepanov and his wife Yulia Stepanova, disqualified in 2013 for doping, spoke about several cases of use by athletes from Russia. After this, WADA created a commission to investigate in early 2015. The first results of the work were published in November 2015: the commission came to the conclusion that the All-Russian Federation athletics, RUSADA and Russia in general do not comply with the rules of the World Anti-Doping Code. It was then that WADA revoked accreditation from RUSADA.
After this report, another investigation began into the use of doping by Russian athletes - it was conducted by a commission led by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren. The first part was published in July 2016, the second in December of the same year. Then the commission concluded that in Russia there was a state doping program from at least 2012 to 2015. For example, scratches were found on test tubes with doping samples of Russian athletes, and a high salt content or DNA of another person was found in the biomaterial. Athletes' tests were changed between 2012 and 2014, including at the Sochi Olympics, McLaren's report claims. These manipulations took place under the control of the Ministry of Sports and the FSB of Russia, it is said there.
WADA's main informant in the Russian sports doping case, whose testimony formed the basis of the McLaren report, is the former head of the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory. In 2016, he moved to the United States, and in May gave an interview to The New York Times: he said that he participated in the replacement of about 100 urine samples of Russian athletes during the 2014 Olympics, and also admitted that he himself developed a cocktail of three anabolic steroids for Russian athletes, which they took part in at the Olympics.
