Lugers lose out on doping ban reversals
An international tribunal’s decision to overturn lifetime suspensions and reinstate results for 28 Russian athletes accused of doping is a low point for fair play in sport, says a Canadian athlete who stands to lose an Olympic bronze medal because of the decision. Calgary luger Sam Edney didn’t mince words after learning about the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s ruling that sanctions against the athletes should be annulled and their results at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi be reinstated because of insufficient evidence. “Above anything else, this is a very very very dark day for the Olympics,” Edney said via Twitter. “AND, this is a very very very dark day for Clean Sport ... if there is such a thing anymore.” The 33-year-old Edney and teammates Alex Gough, Tristan Walker and Justin Snith are poised to lose what would have been Canada’s first Olympic medal in luge. The Canadians finished fourth in the team event in Sochi, but learned in December they would likely be upgraded after Russians Albert Demchenko and Tatiana Ivanova were stripped of their results by the International Olympic Committee and received lifetime bans due to doping accusations. Both Russians had their suspensions reversed and results reinstated by CAS on Thursday. The IOC said it had taken note of the CAS decision “with satisfaction on the one hand and disappointment on the other” because of the impact it could have. “Afraid it may be the beginning of the end for Olympics ... if the IOC rolls over on this one,” Edney tweeted. Four-time Olympic hockey gold medallist Hayley Wickenheiser called for “full transparency from CAS on this decision,” asking that evidence and transcripts from the ruling be presented to athletes. “I feel for the Canadian luge team who have lost a medal because of this decision,” Wickenheiser said in a statement. “I feel for all clean athletes of the world right now.”