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Russian athletes have escaped a proposed blanket ban on their participation in the upcoming Rio Olympics:
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has rejected clarion calls for Russia to be banned from next month's Rio Olympics over the nation's doping record, offering athletes a lifeline by ruling that decisions on individual competitors will be left to the international sports federations. The IOC's decision on Sunday, less than two weeks before the Rio Games opens on Aug. 5, follows the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) call for a blanket ban in response to the independent McLaren report that found evidence of state-sponsored doping by Russian athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
[...] The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) said the IOC had failed to show leadership with its decision. "Many, including clean athletes and whistleblowers, have demonstrated courage and strength in confronting a culture of state-supported doping and corruption within Russia," USADA chief Travis Tygart said. "Disappointingly, however, in response to the most important moment for clean athletes and the integrity of the Olympic Games, the IOC has refused to take decisive leadership. The decision regarding Russian participation and the confusing mess left in its wake is a significant blow to the rights of clean athletes." Russia's Sports Minister, Vitaly Mutko, said the decision cleared the way for Russian participation. "I hope that the majority of international federations will very promptly confirm the right of (Russian) sportspeople in different types of sports to take part in the Olympic Games," Mutko said.
Previously: All Russian Athletes Could be Banned From Competing at the Rio Olympics
(Score: 5, Insightful) by bradley13 on Monday July 25 2016, @06:13AM
There is no perfect solution, but a key component is missing: motivation for the country to ensure that their athletes are clean. Which is exactly what led to the Russian problem: the country itself actually had the reverse motivation, to ensure maximum doping, because winning medals is sooo important.
Countries are after the prestige, so banning the entire country from one or more competitions is a good option. The concern for accidentally penalizing clean athletes is misplaced. You have two kinds of countries:
- In authoritarian countries (Russia, China), the governments are in charge of essentially all training and preparation. If the athletes are doped, it's because the country wants them doped. Penalizing the entire country is the only possibility.
- In non-authoritarian countries (Europe, North America), governments are still deeply involved in the organization and support for sports. The threat of penalizing the entire country gives clean athletes and clean sports the leverage to demand effective anti-doping measures. If the country still screws up, and lets doped athletes compete, the political fallout will ensure that this get fixed.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.