No one is going to be banned according to IOC's newest statement

[Kiki5375]

So if there is some miracle doping that doesn't get detected you think only Russia knows about it and uses it?
Adeliya and Petr were tested like all other athletes and they were clean. Prove they are not and I will agree. Until then I think everyone is innocent until proved guilty. And it's not fair to punish someone for crimes others did

 

[VGThuy]

The U.S. should be banned.

 

[Ice_dance_fan]

The U.S. should be banned.

russia wasn't banned after 2008. and 2014.

 

[MacMadame]

So if there is some miracle doping that doesn't get detected you think only Russia knows about it and uses it?
Adeliya and Petr were tested like all other athletes and they were clean.

That is a very naive statement. We know now that Russian athletes were doping prior to the Sochi Winter games but how many were caught at those games? They were all stripped of their medals afterward when the state-sponsored doping was discovered. Not by testing positive at the games.

So they were not clean, but they tested "clean" at the Olympics. Testing clean at a particular competition is not proof that an athlete doesn't dope. This is why athletes are tested constantly throughout the year. But Russian athletes haven't been tested like that, not by a WADA-approved lab that can be trusted.

P.S. All other athletes were not tested at the Olympics. The standard operating procedure is to test the medal winners and a few random athletes. At these Olympics, they also tested all "neutral" athletes. Outside of that, they do targeted testing concentrating on sports where doping is endemic, which are the endurance sports, not Figure Skating.

Until then I think everyone is innocent until proved guilty. And it's not fair to punish someone for crimes others did

You are entitled to your opinion, but my opinion is that it's very important to the government of Russia that its athletes do well. It's so important that they are willing to cheat. We know this because they have been caught cheating.

The only deterrent they have not to cheat is for their athletes to not do well, and the only way for that to happen is for them to be banned. This is a natural consequence of their behavior. Natural consequences are the most effective punishments.

russia wasn't banned after 2008. and 2014.

Should have been.

 

[Willin]

That is a very naive statement. We know now that Russian athletes were doping prior to the Sochi Winter games but how many were caught at those games? They were all stripped of their medals afterward when the state-sponsored doping was discovered. Not by testing positive at the games.

So they were not clean, but they tested "clean" at the Olympics. Testing clean at a particular competition is not proof that an athlete doesn't dope. This is why athletes are tested constantly throughout the year. But Russian athletes haven't been tested like that, not by a WADA-approved lab that can be trusted.

P.S. All other athletes were not tested at the Olympics. The standard operating procedure is to test the medal winners and a few random athletes. At these Olympics, they also tested all "neutral" athletes. Outside of that, they do targeted testing concentrating on sports where doping is endemic, which are the endurance sports, not Figure Skating.

THIS.

And we know from Icarus and plenty of journalistic sources that Russia has a very specific and sophisticated nationalized doping infrastructure. The government pours funds into schemes, strategies, and research to evade doping tests. They've looked at exact dosing and timelines for when to dope in order to not caught.

I wouldn't believe any negative test from a Russian athlete is truly a sign they were clean at this point.

 

[SakuraHere]

russia wasn't banned after 2008. and 2014.

It's because in 2022 it was banned based on the UN Resolution of 2021. It didn't exist in 2008 or 2014. One strike was enough for Russia but not enough for the USA. IOC is a political organisation. Considering that a lion share of money comes from US TV broadcaster makes them political w****.

 

[SakuraHere]

No, they wouldn't. That's not how WADA works. It's not a law. It's an agreement. The agreement lists drugs that are allowed. Allowing is not the same as requiring.

It's a meaningless statement. Nothing is allowed if it's not required to be legal in the first place. This is exactly how WADA works. They know that national law prevails. Any agreement with the list of allowed by WADA drugs has no legal value if drugs are banned by national law. It means the athlete going to an international competition in Russia, with WADA TUE and methylphenidate in the pocket, will be arrested in the Moscow airport. That's why WADA wants Russia to change national law to make the agreement with WADA legal. Not all countries are drug friendly. Russians don't want drugs inside the country. Why would they want it just to help WADA to sponsor backdoor doping athletes with TUE. The whole name of anti- doping agency of WADA is laughable. The organization that was created to protect athletes' health is now the one putting them on needle of TUE without which they can't compete. And they ban over the counter vitamins that protect athletes' health. WADA is done. No trust. They whole reorganization is required.

 

[overedge]

Olympics or even better all sports should be free of politics..... But you can create a peaceful event where ALL nations come together and behave for at least a few weeks. That's what Olympics is all about.

There is a very long and very sad history of the Olympics being used for political purposes. Like the 1936 summer and winter Olympics, which were held in Hitler's Germany. The IOC ignored the Games being turned into a propaganda advertisement for the Nazi regime. It also ignored several participating countries designing their selection processes to effectively exclude Jewish, non-white, and "radical" athletes.

There are elements of today's Olympics, like the torch relay, that were introduced at those Games and which the IOC has never removed.

As long as athletes are competing for individual countries, the Olympics are always going to be political.

 

[MacMadame]

It's a meaningless statement. Nothing is allowed if it's not required to be legal in the first place. This is exactly how WADA works. They know that national law prevails. Any agreement with the list of allowed by WADA drugs has no legal value if drugs are banned by national law. It means the athlete going to an international competition in Russia, with WADA TUE and methylphenidate in the pocket, will be arrested in the Moscow airport. That's why WADA wants Russia to change national law to make the agreement with WADA legal. Not all countries are drug friendly. Russians don't want drugs inside the country. Why would they want it just to help WADA to sponsor backdoor doping athletes with TUE. The whole name of anti- doping agency of WADA is laughable. The organization that was created to protect athletes' health is now the one putting them on needle of TUE without which they can't compete. And they ban over the counter vitamins that protect athletes' health. WADA is done. No trust. They whole reorganization is required.

This is all bullshit and excuses and justification.

First of all, the legality of a drug in a country is not overridden by WADA. WADA doesn't allow drugs that are perfectly legal in some countries (THC for example) and does allow drugs that are illegal in some countries. It has always been this way and no country that outlaws a drug on WADA's allowed list has had to make it legal.

Second, WADA doesn't require its members to put anything about WADA into law. The federations under the IOC are required to agree to follow its rules when it comes to drug testing. It's a contract between WADA and member federations, not between WADA and countries.

Third, Russia was perfectly okay with belonging to WADA and following its rules before they caught in this massive doping scheme. There was no bs about "but then we'd have to make taking X drug legal" then. Once they got caught and their athletes started being banned and losing their medals, they suddenly had a problem with WADA and stopped belonging. Do the math.

 

[Willin]

@MacMadame Not to mention the athletes likely wouldn't have a valid prescription for the medications they use to dope. The stuff the figure skaters been caught with (at least the blood pressure stuff) is older soviet stuff and considered inferior to the newer imported western drugs and newer Russian drugs. My understanding is that most of that stuff just isn't prescribed any more.

I would also say, as someone that knows plenty of people subjected to doping tests in the US, you can only get a TUE - even with a valid prescription - if you have the proper medical documentation. For ADHD that may be more subjective (a note from a psychiatric professional - though there are more objective diagnostic tests they can include); but for the cocktail of grandpa's heart meds they have to use you'd need things like blood pressure records, TTEs, EKGs, etc. to proved you need them based on the med. These are then verified by a USADA/WADA doctor who reviews the documentation and confirms the need. While I suppose Russia could just fake the records, if there is doubt they usually make you get an independent doctor to do their own examination and determination - which I'm SURE they'd do for the Russian competitors.

 

[MsZem]

There is a very long and very sad history of the Olympics being used for political purposes. Like the 1936 summer and winter Olympics, which were held in Hitler's Germany. The IOC ignored the Games being turned into a propaganda advertisement for the Nazi regime.

And they were selling 1936 Olympics t-shirts through their store this year.

 

[cholla]

The devil is in the details. Did Russia invade Ukraine, with troops on the ground? Did Russia specifically declare war against Ukraine? I am trying to nail down the language Russia used and their actions (aerial assault vs. troops on the ground). Right now, the US just bombed Iran with no intent of invading, and so far, there are no troops on the ground. Yes, the IOC is hypocritical, but again, the devil is in the details.

The Olympic Truce exists to ensure the athletes can move freely and safely around the world before, during and after the Games. You can't move freely and safely in Middle East right now. Not only is the IOC hypocritical but it is joyfully flipping its middle finger to the entire planet.

 

[kwanfan1818]

The IOC needs to be banned.

 

[Ice_dance_fan]

The Olympic Truce exists to ensure the athletes can move freely and safely around the world before, during and after the Games. You can't move freely and safely in Middle East right now. Not only is the IOC hypocritical but it is joyfully flipping its middle finger to the entire planet.

russia wasn't banned after 2008. and 2016.

 

[SakuraHere]

WADA doesn't require its members to put anything about WADA into law.

That is exactly what WADA wants from Russia now- to change their national law and not the opposite. It's a juridical fact. Russians refuse. Those two are stuck and not going anywhere.
Whether the doping banning was justified or not is irrelevant now because that doping expired in 2022. Your argument has no legal merit. The current ban is political. Bullshitting is dragging an invalid expired ban into the current political one because you can't answer OP on topic: Russia and Belarus were banned in 2022 but USA and Israel are not in 2026.
Bullshitting is some clownish statements like "Gumennik and Petrosyan are dopers because they are Russians. They just didn't get caught." Coming from brainwashed Cold War dinosaurs that haven't died out yet. A good deal of them are working in IOC/WADA/CAS. I can't take them seriously but I don't pity them either. Because they left nothing good for our generation. Nothing positive. Only stupidity and hatred. There is no way to clean this mess up. Only to destroy it completely: delete IOC/WADA/CAS and restart the whole Olympic movement. Like demolishing a rotten house with old cockroaches inside and build something new. Good and beautiful.

 

[Karen-W]

That is exactly what WADA wants from Russia now- to change their national law and not the opposite. It's a juridical fact. Russians refuse. Those two are stuck and not going anywhere.

Don't you think it's strange that the ONLY country in the world with national legislation that is in conflict with WADA's code is Russia? Doesn't that give you pause to perhaps question why Russia is unwilling to bring their national legislation into harmony with WADA? It isn't as if Russia is the only country in the world with much tighter restrictions on ADHD drugs - Japan is another country that severely restricts the use of those; and it's certainly not the only country in the world with very strict bans on THC & similar drugs. And yet, none of those other countries are subject to a WADA ban for national legislation that is out of compliance with WADA's code. This argument you're making about national sovereignty is full of more holes than Swiss cheese.

 

[cholla]

russia wasn't banned after 2008. and 2016.

Yes, I know. Does it make IOC less hypocritical? It's full part of the hypocrisy.

 

[Rob]

The IOC 2023 decision on banning Russia/Belarus from the Olympics (except as AINs), said “The unilateral decision taken by the Russian Olympic Committee on 5 October 2023 to include, as its members, the regional sports organisations that are under the authority of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine (namely Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia) constitutes a breach of the Olympic Charter because it violates the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine, as recognised by the IOC in accordance with the Olympic Charter.”

So they can now distinguish that the US and Israel did not fold Iranian sports organizations into their own? Of course it is in their best interests to have referred to a charter violation and not to a Truce violation because banning the host of the next games would leave them in a pickle.

 

[Ice_dance_fan]

The IOC 2023 decision on banning Russia/Belarus from the Olympics (except as AINs), said “The unilateral decision taken by the Russian Olympic Committee on 5 October 2023 to include, as its members, the regional sports organisations that are under the authority of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine (namely Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia) constitutes a breach of the Olympic Charter because it violates the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine, as recognised by the IOC in accordance with the Olympic Charter.”

So they can now distinguish that the US and Israel did not fold Iranian sports organizations into their own? Of course it is in their best interests to have referred to a charter violation and not to a Truce violation because banning the host of the next games would leave them in a pickle.

russia was two warnings

 

[Rob]

russia was two warnings

And the other Olympic resolution was about annexing Ukraine territory? I was looking for it but it didn’t pop up.

Makes things convenient for IOC.

 

[Yyzskater]

The IOC has lost their last shred of legitimacy

 

[Ice_dance_fan]

The IOC has lost their last shred of legitimacy

Not so much as IPC

 

[VGThuy]

No matter what their past actions are, the IOC should ban the U.S. However, they will not because of . And I bet many of the IOC executives or whomever don’t care and maybe like what the U.S. is doing. Many are from an elite privileged class.

 

[care bear]

Not so much as IPC

Its support for Russia is disgusting. All RUS athletes at Paralympics 2026 are military and were killing Ukrainians. Google translate works fine. https://www.instagram.com/p/DU5RDnejTZ6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link 14 countries and EU will boycott opening ceremony at Paralympics due to IPC permission for RUS and BLR to compete under their flags.

 

[MsZem]

The IOC needs to be banned.

We could just ban people, since we've always found ways to harm one another.

 

[Winnipeg]

Why not just eliminate the games period. Obviously they cannot be managed to ensure a fair competition so just drop them. I will miss watching but I would prefer not watching than watching others win through doping etc or judge scandal as in 2002.

Or, just eliminate all rules and let them be a free for all.

 

[MsZem]

Or, just eliminate all rules and let them be a free for all.

That's Gladiator II, isn't it?

 

[Winnipeg]

Hey, there you go, an historical Olympics, maybe even a movie franchise

 

[overedge]

Why not just eliminate the games period. Obviously they cannot be managed to ensure a fair competition so just drop them. I will miss watching but I would prefer not watching than watching others win through doping etc or judge scandal as in 2002.

Or, just eliminate all rules and let them be a free for all.

Like this, which is already scheduled? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_Games

 

[MacMadame]

That is exactly what WADA wants from Russia now- to change their national law and not the opposite.

They want to change the law to accept WADA's jurisdiction. As has been said repeatedly, this does not mean a country has to make every drug on its allowed list legal and no other country has made drugs legal against their will.

You are repeating Russian propaganda.

And the other Olympic resolution was about annexing Ukraine territory? I was looking for it but it didn’t pop up.

Makes things convenient for IOC.

It was said upstream that the Olympic Truce wasn't in effect then but Google says it was first reintroduced in 1993.