The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has issued a blockbuster report that calls for Russia to be banned from international athletics for doping violations and a “deeply rooted culture of cheating at all levels” within Russian athletics. We have previously discussed the lax treatment of cheating by countries like China in international sports. WADA has not only bucked that trend but criticized the long-ridiculed the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) for its “inexplicable laissez-fair policy.” Bravo, WADA, Bravo.
WADA also calls upon the IAAF to ban five athletes and five coaches for life. The most shocking disclosure is that Russia destroyed 1,400 samples “intentionally and maliciously” even after a plea to preserve them. WADA says that the Russian government was directly involved in the destruction and cover up. It further suggests that some of the 2012 Olympic athletes from Russia should not have been competing and that some of the medals won by Russia may have been due to doping.
The report by WADA President Dick Pound refers to “corruption and bribery practices at the highest levels of international athletics but singles out Russia for its calculated efforts to cheat and then destroy evidence.
Pound told a press conference: “For the 2016 Olympics our recommendation is that the Russian Federation is suspended. One of our hopes is that they will volunteer that so they can undertake the remedial work needed.” Hmmm, Vladimir Putin is not exactly the remedial type of guy, but hope strings eternal.
As with the FIFA scandal, international sporting organization remain a cesspool and the cheating by countries has long been documented. Yet, WADA should be credited with taking a stand and calling out international sporting figures for their complicity in this corrupt system. I do not have high hopes in any dealings with the Olympic officials or international sporting officials — any more than I did with the FIFA. It took a U.S. criminal investigation to force FIFA to account. No such action is likely against the Russian sporting establishment. The losers are the athletes who lost to doped up competitors in their one shot for Olympic glory. The athletes are often treated as mere pawns in international rivalries and politics.
WADA has thrown down the gauntlet and we will now see if international sporting officials have a modicum of integrity. It would seem obvious that the destruction of samples should be treated as a major violation in itself that warrants suspension. Otherwise, international sport will continue to rely on the good graces and motivations of countries like Russia.
No, GERMANY is the fatherland of PEDs. Adolph Butenandt 1931, androstenone, Marburg, Hesse Germany. Yes Soviets used this in sports but also: “….Dr. Ruzicka discovered the use of steroids in the early 1930s for medical purposes particularly to fight conditions like cancer. The Russians started injecting themselves during the world weightlifting championship. An American scientist named John Ziegler saw this incredible record breaking success when he attended the world weightlifting championships in Vienna, Austria. According to unverified reports, “Dr. Ziegler brought the Russian team doctor to a bar, got him drunk, and then learned that the Russians were using testosterone for their record breaking performances in competition. Dr. Zeigler came back to the U.S. and developed an oral version of testosterone called Dianabol (methandrostenolone) that would open the door for scientists of the time to discover virtually all of the popular steroids we have today. Dianabol was designed specifically to increase strength and power more than pure testosterone. According to many athletes who have tried both, this is without a doubt the case. The U.S. quickly began to regain the lead in its weight lifting mastery.” http://webpages.shepherd.edu/JMAY05/history/whoinventedroids.html
The first time I learned about steroid abuse was involving Soviet Union and East German Olympic athletes back in THE 1960’S, over 50 years ago. Yes, all countries have bad athletes. I never understood how Lance Armstrong was able to con so many Americans. He screamed phony to me. This thread is revealing. The Hate America Club jump out and give us, “What about the US?” Yes, we are sinners. But, anyone who understands the history knows the Russians are the Godfather of PED’s.
Require drug testing when they come across a border. So if the Olympics are set in Europe then drug test all athletes. If the Olympics are held in Russia then boycott it.
What is the point of commercialized ( or amateur ) athletics ? I see none. But as long as it is voluntary …. I say leave it alone. I feel banning performance substances is a waste of time. Cheating is kind of entertaining ( see New England Patriots ). I just don’t take it seriously.
Dear Lord, forgive the Russia bashers. They know not what they do.
And bingo to John Smith. You got it.
from zerohedge:
“…..odd when one considers that even a casual glance among the top 10 doping scandals of all time, reveals that at least half are due to US athletes such as Marion Jones, Ben Johnson, Justin Gatlin, Kelli White, Regina Jacobs, Eddy Hellebuyck, and so on.
The scandal could prove as damaging to world athletics as the corruption affair now shaking soccer’s world governing body FIFA, where president Sepp Blatter has been suspended and 14 officials and marketing executives indicted on corruption charges.
So let’s focus on the Russians.
The “Independent” commission was led by former WADA President, Canadian Dick Pound. Joining him on the commission was Richard McLaren, another Canadian lawyer and a long-standing member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as well as Günter Younger, head of department of cybercrime with Bavarian Landeskriminalamt.
So two Canadians and a German made up an “independent” commission that now wants to bar Russia from the marquee event of the upcoming olympics.
Their recommendation: “For 2016 our recommendation is the Russian federation be suspended,” Mr. Pound said. “Our hopes is that they will accept that.”
What did they find? Well, nobody actually knows as the results are not public. Just take their objective word.
The commission was formed in December of last year and delivered the majority of its findings on Monday. Speaking in a news conference to discuss the results, Mr. Pound said, “It’s worse than we thought, it has the effect unlike other forms of corruption in affecting athletes in the field of play.”
Mr. Pound said the commission is withholding the results of its findings with regard to alleged corruption within the International Association of Athletics Federations, the global governing body of track & field, as the findings of that probe have been turned over to Interpol for review.
Among the report’s allegations is that Russian security services interfered with the Moscow doping lab ahead of the Sochi Winter Olympics as part of a conspiracy that involved all levels of Russian sport. During the Sochi Games, Russia pulled off a stunning turnaround from its performance in Vancouver in 2010, where it won 3 gold medals and 15 overall. In 2014 Russia won 13 gold medals and 33 overall, an unprecedented level of improvement.
In other words, just like the world “suddenly” realized FIFA was a hotbed of corruption when it had been clear to everyone for decades, so suddenly now the IOC, which is just as corrupt and criminal as FIFA, has decided to redirect attention from itself and to focus on Russia, killing two birds with one stone, further “isolating” Putin, this time from an activity that actually does matter to most Russians.”
BINGO
Yes the football players getting to fire the University President at Missouri because he didn’t flog racism enough on campus… would that happen in Putin’s Russia? Of course not. Our sports “culture” is ridiculous in the extreme by comparison to any other civilized nation.
The world needs to do away with sports altogether. American colleges and universities need to get rid of sports today. It is a joke. If you live in Pennsylvania and think that it is important for Penn State to beat Ohio State in football then you need to go to Spotsylvania or Russia. Nothing worse than sports at good ol Missou where they went in dumb and come out dumb too.
That’s bad.
And depending on the mechanism used, these Russian athletes may suffer lifelong consequences because their country treated them like a means to an end.
The difference between the US and Russia is that when doping or corruption scandals break in our sports, the perpetrators are prosecuted.
There are always going to be attempts at cheating and corruption in high level sports. Unethical trainers try to sneak around the rules, harming horses in so doing, in many equestrian sports. But when they’re caught there are consequences. There is always room to improve our efforts to uncover these shady practices, but there is no comparison with the government-sanctioned corruption in either Russia or China.
And this is exactly why there are calls to ensure that our own government officials (including Hillary Clinton) remain accountable and bound by the same laws as the rest of us. No “one way for me another for thee.” We have myriad examples of what happens when government officials become lawless.
Then take the asterisk and the player’s name out of the halls of fame: Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, Jason Giambi, and on and on.
The way to make a country or people great is to own up to the failures, lies, corruptions, BS.
Propaganda and legitimate news is so difficult to decipher. I understand what JS is saying. There is much western propaganda whose sole purpose is to create distrust and adversity with Russia, China, Iran, etc. However, in both examples used, Lance Armstrong and MLB, USA society was informed of their innaproriate drug uses leading to competitive advantages and demanded reform or removal. Would journalist and whistleblowers in Russia be allowed to inform their societies, as was done in the USA? Would their society demand change if so informed? I do not honestly know these answers. Maybe because of my distrust in all news from both sides, because of propaganda. Remember, “love is hot, truth is molten”. Donovan
This is a test of the emergency broadcast system. Russia is your enemy. I repeat, Russia is your enemy. Obey all instructions. We have always been at war with Eastasia. (Eurasia?)
Russia is the hope of the world. – Edgar Cayce
Consider our “national sport” baseball for a moment if you want to learn something about doping and cheating. This glass house shouldn’t be tossing out softballs like this one, if you pardon the mixed metaphor.
Just another anti-Russian ploy from an NGO funded by western capitalists.
Does the name “Lance Armstrong” sound Russian?
A “deeply rooted culture of [lying] at all levels”, ” corruption and bribery practices at the highest levels”, and destruction of [30,000 emails] “intentionally and maliciously” even after a plea to preserve them. Hmmm … maybe Hillary has a future in Russian international athletics management?
Interesting, but Iam sure this won’t happen
The Science Geek
http://www.thesciencegeek.org
This is an agency with its HQ in Montreal that has been led throughout its history by a Brit, an Aussie, and a Canadian. This is relevant as it will give Putin great ammunition for more anti-West pablum for him to feed his peasants.
The Ruskies (and before them, the Warsaw Pact nations) have been systematically cheating in international sport since, well, forever.
Younger readers of this blog should review the 1972 Olympic Men’s Basketball final game controversy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1972_Olympic_Men%27s_Basketball_Final
And some of those former East German “female” swimmers would have given Arnold Schwarzenegger a run for his money during Mr. Olympia competitions.
Bets on which country kisses up to Russia first?