IOC: Russian Athletes

[Cleoriff]

What a farce this is turning out to be.

Earlier this month The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) had recommended all Russian athletes be banned from the Rio Olympics after its independently commissioned report found evidence of a "four-year state sponsored doping programme" across the vast majority of Olympic sports.

The IOC made a decison to ban some athletes but then, in rather a cowardly move, passed on the responsibility to the individual governing sports bodies. (In other words " you decide....we wont!")

Now 5 days before the start of the games we are told the IOC has convened a 'three person panel' who will make a final, final final decision on the recommendations made by the individual sports bodies.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/36934760

I think this smacks of hypocrisy and fear......?

[Beenherebefore]

So what must Hodgson have been on for the Euros !!

[gmarkj]

---

@Martin-O2 wrote:

I've no idea but it's a good possibility. There's so much money, especially in football I wouldn't be surprised. 

---

Have you not seen some of the stuff going on at Barcelona? 

Rumours of dubious practices for a number of sports (including football) at a clinic over there.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/12092102/Blood-samples-in-a-Barcelona-freezer-c...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operaci%C3%B3n_Puerto_doping_case

Basically any sport where an advantage could be gained (which leads to a financial incentive) will have some form of interference.

[Martin-O2]

@gmarkj I'd not seen that. It seems that when there's money involved there will always be someone trying to gain an advantage. 

Part of me thinks they should just let them use as much performance enhancing methods as they want but that could very quickly get out of control! 

[gmarkj]

I think that FIFA is very aware of what is going on, but with the money involved are very scared of trying to put stricter guidelines in place. If they do that then a large %age of players could be banned from taking part in any competitions.

[Cleoriff]

@gmarkj that first link from the Telegraph was published in January 2016. Has there been an update on this at all? I had never heard of it .....pretty major if honest....

[Cleoriff]

All I can say is my favourite sport is F1. Performance enhancing drugs would be of no benefit at all if you are driving a rubbish car...

[Beenherebefore]

Doesn't mean to say that F1 drivers don't use performance enhancing drugs though.......they need muscle to withstand the G forces.

[Cleoriff]

---

@Beenherebefore wrote:
Doesn't mean to say that F1 drivers don't use performance enhancing drugs though.......they need muscle to withstand the G forces.

---

True.....but as I said it won't help at all if they are driving a rubbish car....Perhaps some teams should put the drugs in the engine....

[Martin-O2]

@gmarkj It would be devastating for Fifa if even a small number of their top players were out for a season. wouldn't surprise me at all if they are turning a blind eye. 

@Cleoriff I'm sure they would if they thought they would get away with it 

[gmarkj]

Yes and no.

The judge ruled in june that the samples should be handed over to various regulatory bodies (link - http://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/36527895), and in July they have announced they have them (link - http://www.skysports.com/more-sports/news/15264/10474542/wada-in-possession-of-operation-puerto-bloo...).

The part that makes me worried about a cover-up (and how far it goes) is the line "In April 2013, Judge Julia Patricia Santamaria ruled the blood bags should be destroyed, a decision which provoked widespread criticism." (on the BBC link).

This would indicate that the judge does not want the evidence they contain to be made public. Why this would be in the general interest, or the specific interest of the governing bodies, I do not know...