In an unprecedented move, the International Olympic Committee has banned the Russian Olympic team from participating in the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. While individual atheltes with rigorous histories of anti-doping testing will be allowed to petition to compete as neutral athletes, Russian government officials will be forbidden to attend the games, the country's flag will not fly and its anthem will not be played, the New York Times reported.
If any Russian athletes win metals as individual competitors, the Russian anthem won't be played during the medals ceremony - instead, the Olympic anthem will sound. The record books from the games will officially record that Russia won zero metals at the 2018 games.
The punishment was issued Tuesday following years of deliberations after a rogue doctor blew the whistle on the program in a wide-ranging expose published in the New York Times back in 2016. That story explained how Russian officials set up a clandestine laboratory to intercept official drug tests. Russian testers also developed a method to infiltrated the supposedly tamper-proof containers used by the Olympics anti-doping officials.
As the Times explained, the punishment was decided after the IOC finished its investigation. It's a major blow to Russia's national pride: The country has often used the Olympics as a display of global voice.
His spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, has said no boycott was under discussion before the announcement, however, and the news broke late in the evening in Moscow when an immediate official reaction was unlikely.
Thomas Bach, president of I.O.C., has said he was perturbed not only by Russia’s widespread cheating but by how it had been accomplished: by corrupting the Olympic laboratory that handled drug testing at the Games, and on orders from Russia’s own Olympic officials.
Russia was allowed to compete at the 2016 summer games in Rio de Janeiro, but its athletes were subjected to rigorous anti-doping testing.
The official statement on the decision from the IOC is available here.
As the NYT recalls, a team assembled by Russia’s sports ministry tampered with more than 100 urine samples to conceal evidence of top athletes’ steroid use during an elaborate overnight operation at the 2014 Sochi Games. More than two dozen Russian athletes have been disqualified from the Sochi standings as a result, and Olympic officials are still sorting through the tainted results and rescinding medals.
Not a russki here, but Russia is picked on so much, I have to wonder if they are not the best nation in the world.
Just wait a minute. Who's in charge here? Jimmy Carter?
And no recognition of country or playing of anthem? Wasn't that the original "Olympic" ideal - that it would transcend nations and recognize athletic acco0mplishment? Now it's just a stage for geopolitcal posturing. Get bent, IOC.
And the very next Olympics after they hosted in Sochi.
World has gone crazy. Too much!
they want nuclear wars as simple as that ... no wonder they have produced so many nuks and given them to so many countries.
i wonder ... most likely religious based reasons
You should move there.
And you should shoot yourself.
It's just getting stupid...everything.
https://Olduvai.ca
jewish ukie troll- or Hasabara?
Where exactly. It's really big. I don't know much about Russia, but the Batlic region looks interesting. Maybe they would have a Julie Christie type waiting for me in the Urals....
Someday Russia is going to push back, and all gloves will be off.
Exactly. Let's face it - everyone dopes. I say, let 'em all dope up and let the biggesst fastest freak win.
Vodka Olympics instead.
Low blow.
<Orange Jewlius tweets on this
<Orange Jewlius doesn't tweet on this
WTF.
Wow, first I've heard of this.
Somewhere Hillary is cheering
yeah...surely no Ameridumb athletes have or are juiced...
getting pretty stupid this RussuiaPhobia...
And the beat goes on!
One shouldn't poke the Russian Bear
Cheats
What else do you expect?
RUSSIA has told Britain it should "clean its conscience" and give back the Falkland Islands before it criticises them over their involvement in Ukraine. Moscow's ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin made the shocking remarks when responding to his British counterpart Matthew Rycroft at a UN security council meeting in New York. (Daily Express 4 Feb 2017)They forget that a lot of territory was 'taken' in the 19th century (much of a norm). That doesn't excuse their actions in the 21st century.
Falkland Islands – The Usurpation (1 pg): https://www.academia.edu/34838377/Falkland_Islands_The_Usurpation
the Zios are poking the Bear
How's that popcorn taste today Pooty.
The Dr. in question is on the Clinton Foundation payroll
So much for that GOLD ALLIANCE BULLSHIT then!! LoL
At least the Mericans will certainly wind up carrying most of the GOLD home now..
and If I were russia I would cancel the world cup! in your face bitchez
Lance Armstrong cheated for how long?
Yet.... Russia is banned.
What a comedy this planet is. Who is in fucking charge around here ???
About time for dollah be barred from Russia once and for all.
The Olympics are a politicized cesspool of bribery, corruption and elitism. I don't even think this ban is a result of US pressure although their athletes have a better chance not that a lot of medal contenders will not be there. Probably Russia didn't pay the shakedown money.
And I have bad news if you still believe the Olympics are an ideal of peace and world cooperation. Much like every last actress had to give a blowjob for the role, every last Olympic athlet with anything around his neck is full of dope and masking agents. Each of them.