LICKSPITTLE BACH STILL HAPPY TO LET RUSSIA DRUG CHEATS FLY FLAG

ONE would think the lickspittle Olympic president Thomas Bach would be keeping a low profile on Russia, after what happened in Pyeongchang. Bach allowed hundreds of Russian athletes to compete in these Winter Games under a supposedly neutral banner, and has been rewarded with a positive drugs test in curling. Alexander Krushelnitskiy won bronze in a pairs competition with his wife Anastasia Bryzgalova, tested positive for meldonium, and has been disqualified. Initially, the Russian authorities resorted to their default position: they lied. Dmitri Svishchev of the Russian Curling Federation said Krushelnitskiy’s food or drink could have been spiked by a rival or one of his country’s enemies ‘as a political means to achieve some goal’. That Russian doping is so widespread that even their curlers are at it was given less credence. Anyway, Krushelnitskiy has dropped his appeal now and accepted his fate. As a result, Bach seems ready to give Russia exactly what they want. Again. A meeting of the IOC tomorrow will consider whether Russia can depart under their own name and flag at this weekend’s closing ceremony, with the indication being they will. This follows an £11million fine paid to the IOC for Russia’s ‘systemic manipulation’ of the doping system at the last winter Games in Sochi. It is nothing less than a disgrace that Bach has surrendered to a corrupt state throughout, particularly when Krushelnitskiy’s positive test casts serious doubts on Russia’s ability to reform. Even more sinister is Angela Ruggiero, chair of the IOC athletes’ commission, bringing up Rule 50 when asked about potential boycotts of the ceremony by those angry at Russia’s participation. Rule 50 outlaws the Games being used as a ‘platform for protests, demonstrations or the promotion of political, religious or racial propaganda’ — meaning clean athletes taking a principled stance could face greater sanction than a rogue state, whose corruption of a series of Olympic Games is the biggest scandal sport has known. All on Bach’s watch — making him as big a cheat as any of them.