Why Russian athletes were suspended unprecedented Games in Rio de Janeiro
Maria Beschastny
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Photo: AP Photo/TASS
Russian athletes will not take part in the Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro, which will start in August. On 17 June, the Council of the International Association of athletics federations (IAAF) meeting in Vienna decided to restore the membership of the all-Russian athletics Federation (vfla), suspended in November. This means that the Olympics will not be able to participate not only athletes who were caught doping, but all athletes in General, even world-class stars with a perfect reputation. For example, the record-holder in pole vaultsElena Isinbayeva.
Elena is extremely emotionally reacted to the decision by the IAAF. According to female athletes, she is two years trained hard, literally camped out at the stadium, donating time to a child, and now will be without the Olympics. “They’re just us being manipulated and psychologically draining those who really want to compete at the Olympics. Now they have energetically suck, Pat, and then allow? Let them choke in this case, your decision!” — troubled athlete.
However, she does not believe that justice will be restored. “I certainly believe in miracles, but at the moment no miracle here does not smell. Only disappointment, resentment, frustration. On the other hand, anger, anger, I guess. Because it’s really unfair,” she said.
June 21 will be a meeting of the International Olympic Committee, which will consider the question whether to allow for competition innocent Russian athletes. However, hopes that the decision will be positive, he will now have 18 of June, when the IOC issued a press release stating that the Committee “fully respects the position of the IAAF”.
The Minister of sports of Russian Federation Vitaly Mutko acknowledged that this means that the chances of Russian athletes to perform in Rio are almost there, but promised that “Russia will fight to the end.”
Hard and unprecedented decision of the IAAF might have been expected, but the athletes until the last hoped for the best. Russian sports officials have admitted that mistakes were, and after the removal of the Federation are actively working on them. The leadership of the club was replaced by the Russian anti-doping Agency (RUSADA) is deprived of the accreditation, so that athletes temporarily checked by the British regulatory Agency.
At the meeting in Vienna the President of the IAAF Sebastian CoE has admitted that Russia had done a lot of work to clean up the sport. But, apparently, insufficient according to sports officials. “I think today’s decision will only benefit the Russian sport,” said CoE.
As some experts believe, WADA and the IAAF to ensure that the Russian authorities acknowledged that doping was encouraged at the state level. This is evidenced by the statement of the head of the inspection Commission of the IAAF rune Anderson: “Russia needs to recognize that the problem of doping exists to recognize at all levels of sports and state. And then we can move on.” It’s becoming more like blackmail — until Russia admits that the West wants to hear, even in what not guilty sportsmen will not participate in the competition.
But the fact that in Russia there are problems, leaders have long recognized. On 7 June Russia’s Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against several former leaders of the all-Russian athletics Federation. On June 18 it became known that initiated the case against the former Director of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory of Gregory Rodchenkov, who recently noted in the Western media revelations about how personally mixed cocktails doping for athletes at the Sochi Olympics.
“Responsibility should always be personalized. If one of your family members committed the offence — which it’s fair to bring to justice all members of the family including you personally? It’s never done, and people who have no relationship to the violations, why should they suffer for others?” — said the President of Russia Vladimir Putin, commenting on the decision by the IAAF. According to him, “this does not fit into any framework of civilized behavior.”
Indeed, is it fair to punish violations of individuals all others, with the water spilling and the child? After such a decision very difficult to argue that the actions of the Association no policy, according to its leaders.
— I don’t really understand the situation with the removal of the entire Federation, — saysthe political scientist Anton Khashchenko.
— If you want to fight against doping, fight. Punish the guilty athletes, coaches, the Federation and people who one way or another could contribute to this. What have the thousands of athletes who are innocent?
There is the indestructible principle in the system of justice, which is that the responsibility should be borne by one who was guilty. His friends, parents or work colleagues who do not know about it, any punishment should not bear. In the case of the removal of all Russian athletes from the Olympics, the situation is exactly the same. People who from an early age involved in sports, I have never used doping and coaches never to anything similar was not inclined, now find themselves suspended. How is it possible to understand and justify?
I wouldn’t want to talk about the political motivation of what happened. Although if you look on the information campaign and materials, which were published in the West and some of our media about this, it’s tempting to think that in these decisions is politics. But even if we consider what happened not through the prism of politics, but only from the perspective of the right and the main Olympic principle “not to win but to participate”, this is a deeply unfair decision. Especially in relation to people for whom these Olympic games could be the last. And we’re not just talking about the Olympics, but about all the international competitions which are held under the auspices of the International athletics Federation.
“SP”: — what can cause this solution for the sport in General, it’s a dangerous precedent?
— I’m afraid that this precedent in Russia will end. Because this decision is so wild that it is unlikely to be repeated in relation to other countries, at least West of the country. Immediately began to the courts, the outrage and everything else. As far as I know, Yelena Isinbayeva is going to sue in international court for human rights, and absolutely rightly so.
Previously no one could not think that even for a large number of caught doping athletes may follow disqualification of all athletes at all. The fact that it happened with Russia, against which now impose sanctions and pressure on other lines, of course, raises big questions.
“SP”: — Can our athletes to challenge his disqualification?
— I think that the possible trials for the Olympics in Rio it won’t change. At least because too little time is left before this event. In the best case, a solution could be achieved after the fact, but to act on the Games guys, it still will not allow it. There is a chance that the IOC will allow “clean” athletes to compete at the Olympics, but it’s not clear whether it will be done.
“SP”: — How should the government respond to the decision of the international Federation?
— It is clear that now begins the calls to completely boycott the Olympics in Rio. From the point of view of solidarity of these people can understand. But it seems to me that this is not the right way, because we close the road to other athletes and the federations, which are in no way to blame. No need to boycott. Responses need to be in full support of private lawsuits, which will be from the athletes, the same Isinbayeva. It must be organizational and financial support. And, of course, need to try somehow to understand this situation at the upcoming meeting of the IOC and to minimize the consequences of what happened.
A former member of the Presidium of all-Russian athletics Federation Alexey Kustov considers that in this situation the fault of unscrupulous Russian officials, who didn’t fight hard enough doping.
— This is the first ever precedent when the participation in the Olympic games removed the entire Federation. It’s a pain for the country and the tragedy of athletes and coaches. What happens next is hard to say. June 21 will be held another meeting, but it is hard to imagine that we’re in for something good. There were offers of “clean” athletes to compete under Olympic or under a white flag, but I think that is absolutely not welcome. It is the Russians, and they have to act under the Russian flag. Moreover, all of the training funds our government.
“SP”: — Can June 21 to seek a review of the decision of the IAAF?
— It is now difficult to change something. You can stop this situation at the initial stage, clearing the athletics Federation. That is, to withdraw its membership from those coaches that even indirectly could be related to doping. We would show WADA that really want to police itself. But then our sports authorities approached formally. Minister Mutko recommended wfla to carry out personnel changes in the composition, which, by the way, do not like the international sports organizations. They are not welcome when the government is directly interfering in the work of the federations. But many of those who would be responsible for the doping scandals, remained at his post.
“SP”: — so you think that the decision of the WADA policy?
— I think there is politics in the sense in which it is understood by our media. Russia is a powerful country, one of the leading sports powers. And now anti-doping organizations against the background of our might want to explain to other countries that need to play by the rules, and that concessions will not be for anyone. Take for example Kenya. There was disqualified for doping 6-10 people, and then made for the Olympics. Why? Because Kenya is in the global sense of itself represents nothing. Or Ethiopia, where everyone sits on the needle. Their removal anyone would not have produced the impressions. And quite another matter — Russia.
Now our officials, for example, the former head of wfla Valentin Balakhnichev(Balakhnichev resigned from the post of President of Federation of athletics in February 2015, in January 2016, the ethics Commission of the IAAF has decided to disqualify him for life — approx. ed.) want to hide behind policy because it is their fault.
Let me remind you that the series of scandals in our athletics began with a sports walk. If the time was disqualified Chegin and others, it would not have been the head coach of the Olympic training Centre for race walking in Saransk Victor Chegin in March 2016 was vfla disqualified for life for violating anti-doping rules. Scandal in the walk broke out in 2014 — approx. ed.) But instead, our sports leadership up to the Minister Mutko has acted in the spirit of “let them first prove”, and Cegin continued to be a coach. Not surprisingly, WADA, which was originally proposed to us to cooperate, have accepted this position.
“SP”: — But perhaps in other countries there are no doping scandals? In the United States multiple Olympic champion Marion Jones was also caught for doping, but then the speech was not to remove all American athletes…
Is doping accepted in all countries, it is not a secret. When this caught Marion Jones, more precisely, she confessed, she passed all her medals and spent six months in jail. We have the same the problem was that we never wanted to do anything. Many coaches and officials who are responsible for doping scandals, remained at their posts. And now a demonstration we want to learn to play by the rules. Initially, we took the position: “And you prove it”, so they argue. The question is, when will they stop these proofs. Will the anti-doping Agency continue to check skiing, biathlon and swimming, or stop at athletics?
“SP”: — Well, but what about the “clean” athletes? They’re not to blame. If they have a chance to win the right to participate in the Games in the court or something else?
— Before the Olympics was 50 days. I don’t think, Lausanne, anything will do. I dread to imagine the state in which our guys are. Yes, they are absolutely not to blame, blame the officials, which led to this situation. Guys honestly preparing for years, and the tragedy happened. They Nov were in limbo, not knowing whether to go in Rio de Janeiro. Our athletes for years gained the prestige of our country and unscrupulous politicians, it was dispelled at once.
Hope it inspires that criminal proceedings against former leaders of the all-Russian athletics Federation and against Gregory Rodchenkov for abuse of power. I think this is only the beginning, and there are specific cases against specific individuals.
