Nathan'ette Burdine's The Nyle Magazine
Hi!



  News     Politics       Entertainment      Under the Radar      Double-Talking            

 News Archive 2017






The Russians have to pay back the money the IOC used to investigate the doping scandal
by Nathan'ette Burdine: December 12, 2017
 


The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has ordered the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) to pay back the $15 million dollars the IOC used to conduct the investigations into the Russian doping scandal and for the development of an Independent Testing Authority (ITA).

Last year, the IOC began an investigation into the Russian doping scandal upon the request of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Putin asked the IOC to intervene after the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) banned all Russian athletes from international competition following a report by the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA).

WADA conducted an investigation on behalf of the IAAF and concluded that Russian officials were enabling drug use amongst the Russian athletes.

WADA recommended that all Russian athletes should be banned due to the doping problem being deeply embedded within the Russian system.

The BBC quoted Rune Andersen of the IAAF as saying about the decision, “The systemic doping that has been ongoing in Russia-it’s difficult to pick the clean athletes.”

The decision, which came in 2015, resulted in Russia not being able to compete in the 2016 Olympics.

Russian President Vladimir Putin viewed the decision as extremely harsh because the IAAF lumped the athletes who had not been doping into the mix.

The BBC quoted Putin as saying, “The people who have nothing to do with violations, why should they suffer for those who committed violations?”

Putin asked the IOC to intervene on behalf of the Russian athletes who had been following the rules.

The IOC agreed to look into the matter and began an investigation during the summer of 2016.

The IOC tapped Switzerland former President Samuel Schmid to lead the investigation. The Schmid Commission came up with the same conclusion as WADA, finding that the problem of doping was something that some Russian officials knew about but failed to end.

The IOC concluded that Russia should be banned from participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics that will be held in South Korea.

The IOC also suspended Russian officials, which included ROC President Alexander Zhukov, from the IOC. The Schmid Commission and the IOC did differ with WADA and the IAAF on whether all Russians athletes should be ban from international competition.

IOC President Thomas Bach is quoted as saying, “This was an unprecedented attack on the integrity of the Olympic Game and sports. The IOCEB, after following due process, has issued proportional sanctions for this systemic manipulation while protecting the clean athletes. This should draw a line under this damaging episode and serve as a catalyst for a more effective anti-doping system led by WADA.”

Russian athletes who are allowed to participate will participate under the name Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR).

The Olympic flag will replace the Russian flag and the Olympic anthem will be played in place of the Russian anthem.

In response to the IOC’s decision, Putin has stated that he will not interfere with any Russian athlete who is allowed to compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics.

“We, without doubt, will not declare a blockade, we will not prevent our Olympians from taking part [in the Games], if one of them wants to take part in a personal capacity,” is what CNN quoted Putin as saying.

The Russian president did go on to express concern that the IOC’s decision was “politically motivated.”






comments powered by Disqus