OLYMPIC SHAMES
After a three-month ban and two failed dope tests, Russia are back in the IOC fold. Welcome to the...
RUSSIA’S Olympic ban could be lifted as early as today — less than three months after they were suspended for state-sponsored doping.
The International Olympic Committee stopped short of allowing the Russians to march under their own flag at yesterday’s Winter Olympics closing ceremony.
But an outrageous compromise deal yesterday morning means the Russian Olympic Committee will imminently be brought back into the fold.
It is a decision that is open to allegations of farce in the wake of two positive doping cases in Pyeongchang involving curler Aleksandr Krushelnitckiy, who was stripped of a mixed doubles bronze medal, and bobsledder Nadezhda Sergeeva.
Had it not been for those failed tests, the IOC astonishingly admitted they would have even considered lifting the ban in time to allow Russia to take part in the closing ceremony.
It is yet another peculiar decision that leaves the IOC exposed to suggestions of being weak on drugs, having drawn significant flak in December when they suspended Russia, only to then allow 168 athletes who could prove themselves clean to compete in Pyeongchang as neutral Olympic Athletes from Russia.
That backfired spectacularly, and predictably, with the two positive tests — half the total for the whole Winter Olympics.
An IOC statement said: ‘Subject to continued compliance, the suspension of the ROC is considered to be lifted once it is confirmed there are no additional doping cases by members of the OAR delegation.’ It added: ‘The IOC would have considered lifting the suspension because the Olympic Athletes from Russia delegation has respected the December 5 decision.
‘However, two athletes failed doping tests here in Pyeongchang. This was hugely disappointing and, in addition to other considerations, prevented the IOC from even considering lifting the suspension for the closing ceremony.’ The imminent lifting of the ban means Russia will have, in effect, served less time for arguably the biggest doping scandal in sporting history than Rio Ferdinand received for a missed drugs test in 2003, when he was banned for eight months.
British Olympic Association chief executive Bill Sweeney supported the decision to keep Russia out of the closing ceremony and called for ‘pressure’ to ensure Russia ticked all boxes for reintegration.
One of the criteria was a $15million fine, the payment of which was confirmed yesterday.
Sweeney said: ‘For Russia to have marched under the flag given two additional doping offences here, that would have been pretty hypocritical.
‘I don’t think it ends there. We still want to make sure they are in compliance with everything laid out for them to be welcomed back. It’s important for the IOC to stick to that.
‘Pressure needs to be maintained to ensure they are in compliance. It was disappointing that our mixed curlers didn’t qualify and the Russians had that last slot. That rankles.’
Ahead of yesterday’s IOC announcement, the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organisations wrote an open letter to IOC members saying ‘clean athletes of the world would be outraged’ if Russia’s ban was lifted.
They wrote: ‘Regardless of what you may hope, you can’t merely wish away the most significant fraud in the history of sport.
‘A transgression of such magnitude warrants a proportional sanction which must go well beyond an irregular attendance at the Pyeongchang Games and paying a fine.
‘By failing to impose a meaningful sanction on the ROC, the IOC would be culpable in this effort to defraud clean athletes of the world. Clean athletes continue to raise concerns and are understandably frustrated with the equivocal stance of the IOC when it comes to the systemic doping in Russia.’