That's an interesting idea. That would certainly be a way to punish the sporting federations and not the athletes, though at this point Russia already has next year's European Championships, and more significantly, the World Cup. The other issue that remains is determining who are the clean Russian athletes because WADA still hasn't been allowed access to the samples stored at RUSADA's Moscow lab. Those samples could really demonstrate exactly how deep and wide the doping scheme was and also identify, definitively, which athletes were involved.
I don't know what you mean by sporting federations that fall underneath the IOC. All sporting federations are independent and apply to the IOC to recognized which is the first step to inclusion in the Olympic program. FIFA, as the governing body of Football, organizes the Olympic competitions and determines how teams qualify for those events and also determines the athletes that are eligible to compete. For example, there is an age limit in Olympic Football with each team being granted a few exceptions for players over that age (currently 23). FIFA is a recognized sporting federation (one of 73) and is also a member of ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations).
ETA another article with comments by Rodchenkov: http://www.espn.com/olympics/story/...scipline-ahead-ioc-decision-doping-conspiracy
Under the article on ITG there’s tons of mistranslation comments and that all that was said was that it’s not being discussed right now! It would be an enormous flip flop.
Ruined for you for all four disciplines? For Russia has gold contenders in ladies, maybe in pairs but only possible bronze contenders in the other disciplines?
). I don't know what the best punishment is as I haven't followed all the ins and outs but I just can't buy that letting Russia compete in everyway they would otherwise have just with the wink wink of not calling them Russia is sufficient. The doping was systemic and the fault of Russian sports institutionally. You just can't treat it like it was individual athletes under those circumstances. If the penalties are not adequate then all clean athletes are being penalized going forward, and I think people need to put adequate sanction ahead of their personal desire to see the Russian athletes, or they really are not on the side of clean athletes.
Yes. It's not a discipline. It's all the skaters. This is exactly what I mean. Where is the empathy for all the young Russians, many of whom, weren't even skating as seniors 4 years ago. Moreover, figure skating hasn't been implicated in the Sochi debacle (in spite of many who spitefully wanted Sotnikova's medal removed). It's not the medals. Others can be happy if they want. Can celebrate if their favorites win, especially, if they win when they'd have likely not if the Russian skaters were there. As for me, I want no part of skating anymore if they aren't. I couldn't care less if the skate as Russians or as Martians. I just want them to be allowed to compete. My respect for some posters has really been lessened just reading the happiness in this thread. Everybody should be sick that this happened, and is continuing to happen rather than just repeat the OPs mantra of ban them.
And what about the dreams of all the very innocent kids and young athletes who did not get their Olympic moment, even though they competed, because they didn’t cheat but had to watch while someone who did got their medal, their glory, their moment, their reward for a lifetime of sacrifice. Have you ever watched an athlete get their medal years later because they were robbed by a drug cheat? There is no stadium or arena full of cheering fans, no cameras, no front page headlines. It’s heartbreaking - because their victory and all that it would have meant, was stolen from them, and as much as well meaning organizers may try - there is absolutely no way to get it back - ever.
It would be nice if all these controversies would end but that depends entirely on Russia doing what it’s been told to do! Why won’t it do what it’s told? Seems like the only way to get Russia to do what it’s told may be to ban every Russian athlete. Partial bans and neutrals haven’t worked. Time to fix Russia by banning every Russian from at least one olympics. If it doesn’t work than more.
And which figure skater cheated? None. if the boarders cheated, ban them. If the biathalon competitiors cheated, ban them, speed skaters, whoever. What purpose is served to ban all athletes? None what so ever.
