IOC's decision: (clean) Russian athletes can compete under neutral flag at PyeongChang Olympics

[Vash01]

WTF is the lemon? The athletes can go. Those who medal will have no asterisks by their names. They get to be Olympians, which is what they've been training for their whole lives.

The lemon is that they are being 'allowed' to compete, but unlike their opponents, they will not be allowed to their country's uniform, hear their anthem, see their own flag go up. That is a big disappointment for the innocent athletes who did nothing wrong.

Also there is no certainty that they will get to go. There is nothing official from Russia saying one way or the other.

One more thing - The IOC is going to decide who gets to go. We have already seen how WADA had manipulated who gets to go to worlds. I don't trust them.

 

[Vagabond]

According to , it isn't @Aerobicidal, it's his lawyer.

 

[Aerobicidal]

Does that include Yuzuru, Shibs, and P&C?

I am offended by your use of Yuzuru's first name. Please refer to him as Hanyu-san, Hanyu-sensei, God Hanyu, or Prince of Pooh. Or Zhenya.

This may sound like hair splitting, but it is VERY important.

 

[Vash01]

Are there people in Russia that can sway Putin at all once he makes up his mind? I don't think so.

Who decides- Putin or the Russian Olympic fed? In Russia I think it would be Putin over everyone else.

 

[Twilight1]

i will stick to my opinion. You are hair splitting. I am sure the nonRussian athletes will derive energy and pleasure when they see their opponents humiliated by the public. The Olympics are like a war.

I find it sad that you assume the worst in people because I am actually opposite. I would have been crushed if clean Russian athletes couldn't go.

That mentality is not the basis of sport. To be the best, you beat the best. You want something, you earn it. Basic morals and values that seem lost for you in this case.

The only people sticking it to Russia are the cheaters, the enablers and the people covering it all up. THEY are the ones to blame.

 

[Amantide]

I'd leave that to N.Korea

N.Korea wants to nuke Russia? I thought that was the american dream.

 

[Erin]

i will stick to my opinion. You are hair splitting.

First sentence - shocking. NOT. Second sentence - hilarious coming from you when literally all you do is split hairs.

 

[Vash01]

I find it sad that you assume the worst in people because I am actually opposite. I would have been crushed if clean Russian athletes couldn't go.

That mentality is not the basis of sport. To be the best, you beat the best. You want something, you earn it. Basic morals and values that seem lost for you in this case.

The only people sticking it to Russia are the cheaters, the enablers and the people covering it all up. THEY are the ones to blame.

I am not talking about people like you and me. These are highly competitive athletes. They don't care if they beat the best. Do you think an NFL team would be sad because they beat 'only' Jacksonville and not New England in a Super Bowl? Their goal is to win the trophy, medal, whatever.

 

[MsZem]

I am sure the nonRussian athletes will derive energy and pleasure when they see their opponents humiliated by the public. The Olympics are like a war.

This two-picture set captured one of my favorite sports moments ever: the skaters' section in Sochi after Kostner skated. Tell me again about how the Olympics are like war and all the skaters hate each other.

 

[WildRose]

i will stick to my opinion. You are hair splitting. I am sure the nonRussian athletes will derive energy and pleasure when they see their opponents humiliated by the public. The Olympics are like a war.

What an incredibly nasty thing to say about nonRussian athletes!

 

[Twilight1]

Cleary my Canadian good will among all in sports is blinding me because what you see and what I see are on opposite sides of the universe.

Wishing ill on others is just plan nasty imvho.

 

[berthesghost]

What? Innocent people get hurt when entire countries play political games? I’m shocked I tell you shocked! Why can’t these skaters who have all benefitted in countless ways by being from a powerful federation country continue to reep the benefits of their country’s good luck without even having to share in the misery of its bad luck? So unlike everything else in life where bad things never happen to good people.

 

[Aussie Willy]

I want to see Ivan Komova's interview with Putin now.

 

[WildRose]

I am not talking about people like you and me. These are highly competitive athletes. They don't care if they beat the best. Do you think an NFL team would be sad because they beat 'only' Jacksonville and not New England in a Super Bowl? Their goal is to win the trophy, medal, whatever.

You know nothing about athletes do you? How incredibly sad.

 

[flyingsit]

The lemon is that they are being 'allowed' to compete, but unlike their opponents, they will not be allowed to their country's uniform, hear their anthem, see their own flag go up. That is a big disappointment for the innocent athletes who did nothing wrong.

Seriously? How many of them would switch countries TOMORROW if that's what it took to get to the Olympics?

 

[MsZem]

This two-picture set captured one of my favorite sports moments ever: the skaters' section in Sochi after Kostner skated. Tell me again about how the Olympics are like war and all the skaters hate each other.

And just to follow up on my previous post, here's what John Coughlin had to say to skating fans who were hating on Sotnikova post-Sochi.

 

[Carolla5501]

Of course they are happy to compete against Russian skaters that are demoralized, embarrassed, and very likely booed by the fans at the Olympics. If the GPF was anywhere outside of Japan, same thing could have happened but the Japanese are classy people.

This might be the funniest post ever. Demoralized because they are at the Olympics? Really? your drama queen act is over-the-top today


In your assumption that the crowd will boo? It's based on what? what you would do? Perhaps if you act like a grown-up others will too

 

[Carolla5501]

Seriously? How many of them would switch countries TOMORROW if that's what it took to get to the Olympics?

Yes this assumption that they were only be happy if they can skate for the mother country seems to have a flaw . How many other countries are Russian skaters representing now Or have represented in the past.?


I can think of six or seven without even trying hard

 

[caseyedwards]

This might be the funniest post ever. Demoralized because they are at the Olympics? Really? your drama queen act is over-the-top today


In your assumption that the crowd will boo? It's based on what? what you would do? Perhaps if you act like a grown-up others will too

Don’t you remember Rio and the booing of Russians?!?

 

[giselle23]

I expect to see Russian flags displayed in the audience and the name Russia to be prominently displayed on the athletes' uniforms. The "OAR" team will be the de facto Russian team and their medals will be celebrated as Russian medals. So Hersh is right. Buy hey, Russia still has to pay that $15million fine, in theory at least.

 

[Tofa]

This might be the funniest post ever. Demoralized because they are at the Olympics? Really? your drama queen act is over-the-top today


In your assumption that the crowd will boo? It's based on what? what you would do? Perhaps if you act like a grown-up others will too

Based on Rio maybe? And partly on 2017 Athletics WC?

 

[Carolla5501]

The difference is that Rio had people who has failed and managed to appeal their way on the team. People don't like that.


But this has been going on all year and I have not heard people booing the figure skaters

 

[Tofa]

The difference is that Rio had people who has failed and managed to appeal their way on the team. People don't like that.


But this has been going on all year and I have not heard people booing the figure skaters

Kulizhnikov, Yuskov, and maybe others will do the same as Efimova did, and maybe they will win CAS appeal, so..?
Ah, ok, you care for figure skaters only...

 

[Deleted member 1204]

However, I am more and more inclined toward making the Olympics free of Nationalism.

Wouldn't that be Worlds then?

 

[Bulletsdad]

Wouldn't that be Worlds then?

Ha! Hardly!

 

[lala]

Something must be done though too with Norwegian 99% Asthmatic Cross-Country skiing team but that's another problem.

Yes. I don't think the Norwegian officials are so naive and they believe that is coincidence

 

[BlueRidge]

i will stick to my opinion. You are hair splitting. I am sure the nonRussian athletes will derive energy and pleasure when they see their opponents humiliated by the public. The Olympics are like a war.

That's an utterly ridiculous thing to say. Maybe you should take some time off and relax.

 

[JeffClair1979]

OK, so, this thought just popped into my head.

ISU rules state that the spots for Olympics are earned by the countries federations the year prior at Worlds, or at Nebelhorn.

The spots earned for Russia were... for Russia.

Since OAR technically did not earn any spots for the Olympics, can we assume that ISU will issue a clarification that the number of spots in each event earned by Russia are transferable to OAR? And if so, will Russian Nats still be the qualifier, since the Russian federation cannot choose it's own athletes?

Not trying to start something here, just genuinely wondering how that would be handled in the rules of Oly qualifying. Seems like a lot of clarification will be needed so that the athletes know exactly what they are up against in making their bid for the OAR team.

 

[rfisher]

You know, there might be ignorant people who boo athletes. So what. They aren't delicate flowers who will wilt because somebody is stupid. They are trained athletes. If I were a coach, I'd tell my athlete, this is your opportunity to show the world what you're made of. Stand tall, skate well (or ski or whatever). And, even better if you win, that's your damn medal and not some governmental bureaucrats who gets to brag about medal counts. It's yours. Take it.

 

[Amantide]

OK, so, this thought just popped into my head.

ISU rules state that the spots for Olympics are earned by the countries federations the year prior at Worlds, or at Nebelhorn.

The spots earned for Russia were... for Russia.

Since OAR technically did not earn any spots for the Olympics, can we assume that ISU will issue a clarification that the number of spots in each event earned by Russia are transferable to OAR? And if so, will Russian Nats still be the qualifier, since the Russian federation cannot choose it's own athletes?

Not trying to start something here, just genuinely wondering how that would be handled in the rules of Oly qualifying. Seems like a lot of clarification will be needed so that the athletes know exactly what they are up against in making their bid for the OAR team.

That's a good question acctually. Never thought about it but I'm curious now.

You know, there might be ignorant people who boo athletes. So what. They aren't delicate flowers who will wilt because somebody is stupid. They are trained athletes. If I were a coach, I'd tell my athlete, this is your opportunity to show the world what you're made of. Stand tall, skate well (or ski or whatever). And, even better if you win, that's your damn medal and not some governmental bureaucrats who gets to brag about medal counts. It's yours. Take it.

True that. Although for the young ladies it might not be easy to handle all that pressure.