The International Olympic Committee faces an unprecedented backlash from anti-doping groups and athletes after it decided not to impose a blanket ban on the Russian team competing in next’s month’s Rio Games.
Instead it ruled the 28 individual sports federations which make up the summer Olympics were free to decide the fate of Russians on a case-by-case basis.
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Greg Rutherford calls IOC decision over Russia team for Rio ‘spineless’
</aside> Dick Pound
the former World Anti-Doping Agency president who authored a damning report into state-sponsored doping in Russia last November, claimed the IOC’s decision had revealed there “was zero tolerance for doping, unless it’s Russia”.
“The IOC had a huge opportunity to make a statement. It’s been squandered,” he said.
The 59-member Institute of National Anti-Doping Organisations called the news “a sad day for clean sport‚” adding: “The IOC has ignored the calls of clean athletes, a multitude of athlete organisations, and of leading National Anti-Doping Organisations, to do the right thing by excluding Russia.”
Meanwhile, Great Britain’s Olympic long jump champion, Greg Rutherford, said the IOC’s decision to pass the buck to its individual federations was “a spineless attempt to appear as the nice guy to both sides”.
“I had a terrible feeling that this would be the case, that pressure would be bowed to, that arms would be twisted,” he told the Guardian. “The IOC were presented with an opportunity here to make a clear and concise statement of intent that the Olympic movement is to be believed in, to be supported, championed and enjoyed.
“Unfortunately what we’ve been given is the absolute worst of all worlds.”
read the rest of this mess https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/jul/24/russia-team-escape-blanket-ban-ioc-rio-olympic-games
Instead it ruled the 28 individual sports federations which make up the summer Olympics were free to decide the fate of Russians on a case-by-case basis.
<aside class="element element-rich-link element--thumbnail element-rich-link--upgraded" data-component="rich-link" data-link-name="rich-link-3 | 1">
Greg Rutherford calls IOC decision over Russia team for Rio ‘spineless’
</aside> Dick Pound
the former World Anti-Doping Agency president who authored a damning report into state-sponsored doping in Russia last November, claimed the IOC’s decision had revealed there “was zero tolerance for doping, unless it’s Russia”.
“The IOC had a huge opportunity to make a statement. It’s been squandered,” he said.
The 59-member Institute of National Anti-Doping Organisations called the news “a sad day for clean sport‚” adding: “The IOC has ignored the calls of clean athletes, a multitude of athlete organisations, and of leading National Anti-Doping Organisations, to do the right thing by excluding Russia.”
Meanwhile, Great Britain’s Olympic long jump champion, Greg Rutherford, said the IOC’s decision to pass the buck to its individual federations was “a spineless attempt to appear as the nice guy to both sides”.
“I had a terrible feeling that this would be the case, that pressure would be bowed to, that arms would be twisted,” he told the Guardian. “The IOC were presented with an opportunity here to make a clear and concise statement of intent that the Olympic movement is to be believed in, to be supported, championed and enjoyed.
“Unfortunately what we’ve been given is the absolute worst of all worlds.”
read the rest of this mess https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/jul/24/russia-team-escape-blanket-ban-ioc-rio-olympic-games
