Perhaps this is a sign that Russia has grown weary of trying to keep a lid on some of these things.
Russia Banned from 2018 Winter Olympics
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Perhaps this is a sign that Russia has grown weary of trying to keep a lid on some of these things.
AZJoe
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Commentary from Mike Whitney:
Thanks to the relentless arm-twisting of the Washington powerbrokers, the Russian Olympic team will not be allowed to compete in the 2018 Winter Games …
doping is nothing new in the world of sports … the United States has its share of skeletons in the closet too, as journalist Neil Clark points out ..:
That’s what you call ‘American style’ justice where the accused is convicted before he’s even been charged with a crime. And it’s even worse than that, since the prosecution has not yet produced a shred of evidence to prove its case. The IOC has operated in complete secrecy and now expects the world to ‘trust their judgment’ …
from the New York Times:
Proof? We don’t need no stinking proof. We have the Washington Mafioso on our side. That’s all the proof we need. …
Russia and China are building the vital infrastructure (energy and transport) that will create a “Greater Europe” spanning from Lisbon to Vladivostok, the biggest free trade zone in history … Russia has also blunted Washington’s attempt to topple Syrian President Bashar al Assad and plunge the country into Libya-type anarchy, which was critical part of its geopolitical plan to redraw the map of the Middle East.
At every turn, Putin appears to be blocking Washington’s strategy to control the resource-rich landmass from North Africa across the Middle East to the Pacific Rim. … This is why US heavyweights have been frantically searching for new ways to humiliate, punish or crush those ‘evil Ruskies’. The attack on the Russian Olympic Team– however petty and vicious it might be– is yet another way for the ‘exceptional nation’ to implement its full spectrum dominance doctrine to isolate an emerging rival and transform them into an international pariah.
Here’s more from the New York Times:
As Ellis Cashmore said, the IOC’s decision to ban Russia from the Olympics “is arguably the most overt expression of political intervention in sport in history.” …
So the IOC has decided to use the testimony of a man [Grigory Rodchenkov, a fugitive with an axe to grind, who was busted by Russia for drug trafficking, had his operation shut down, and fled the country as a fugitive in 2015] who is not only a proven cheater and a liar, but who has also sold out his country. It would be interesting to hear why the IOC thinks the dissembling Mr. Rodchenko’s claims can be trusted?
It’s also worth noting that, there is no proof of a “state-backed doping program”. … “Apart from Rodchenkov’s statements, the other evidence appears inferential and largely uncorroborated. In another social climate in a different era, McLaren’s report would have met with skepticism or, at very least, a demand for proof. Not today.”
That’s for sure. It seems like any ridiculous anti-Russia slander one can conjure up will eventually be splashed across the headlines of one of America’s top newspapers. …
a small number of independent-minded readers who’ve been able to cut through the state propaganda and figure out what’s really going on. … a few of their comments: …
Thanks to the relentless arm-twisting of the Washington powerbrokers, the Russian Olympic team will not be allowed to compete in the 2018 Winter Games …
Officially, this is being done to punish Russia for doping among athletes. In reality, the move was heavily lobbied for by the US and a series of allies, a push that was primarily about US-Russia tensions in recent years. — antiwar.com
doping is nothing new in the world of sports … the United States has its share of skeletons in the closet too, as journalist Neil Clark points out ..:
Wade Exum, the US Olympic Committee’s former Director of Drug Control, handed over more than 30,000 pages of documents to Sports Illustrated magazine and the Orange County Register, which he said showed that over 100 American athletes had failed drug tests between 1988-2000, but had still been allowed to compete.
Carl Lewis, the US Olympian later admitted he had tested positive for banned substances before the 1988 Games in Seoul where he won Gold but claimed that ‘hundreds’ of fellow Americans had also escaped bans. “There were hundreds of people getting off,” Lewis said. “Everyone was treated the same.”
But guess what? There was no McLaren style report and no blanket ban on US athletes.
(In contrast) Russian athletes have been banned (and stripped of their medals) without proof of their guilt being published by the IOC’s Oswald Commission.” …
Carl Lewis, the US Olympian later admitted he had tested positive for banned substances before the 1988 Games in Seoul where he won Gold but claimed that ‘hundreds’ of fellow Americans had also escaped bans. “There were hundreds of people getting off,” Lewis said. “Everyone was treated the same.”
But guess what? There was no McLaren style report and no blanket ban on US athletes.
(In contrast) Russian athletes have been banned (and stripped of their medals) without proof of their guilt being published by the IOC’s Oswald Commission.” …
That’s what you call ‘American style’ justice where the accused is convicted before he’s even been charged with a crime. And it’s even worse than that, since the prosecution has not yet produced a shred of evidence to prove its case. The IOC has operated in complete secrecy and now expects the world to ‘trust their judgment’ …
from the New York Times:
The Olympic committee provided little detail about the cases on Thursday. “The reasoning for these decisions will be communicated in due course,” the organization said in a news release. “Due to the nature and complexity of the cases, this thorough, comprehensive and time-consuming process has taken several months and had to involve external forensic experts, who had to develop a legally-defendable methodology.”
Proof? We don’t need no stinking proof. We have the Washington Mafioso on our side. That’s all the proof we need. …
Russia and China are building the vital infrastructure (energy and transport) that will create a “Greater Europe” spanning from Lisbon to Vladivostok, the biggest free trade zone in history … Russia has also blunted Washington’s attempt to topple Syrian President Bashar al Assad and plunge the country into Libya-type anarchy, which was critical part of its geopolitical plan to redraw the map of the Middle East.
At every turn, Putin appears to be blocking Washington’s strategy to control the resource-rich landmass from North Africa across the Middle East to the Pacific Rim. … This is why US heavyweights have been frantically searching for new ways to humiliate, punish or crush those ‘evil Ruskies’. The attack on the Russian Olympic Team– however petty and vicious it might be– is yet another way for the ‘exceptional nation’ to implement its full spectrum dominance doctrine to isolate an emerging rival and transform them into an international pariah.
Here’s more from the New York Times:
The country’s government officials are forbidden to attend, its flag will not be displayed … its anthem will not sound. Any athletes from Russia who receive special dispensation to compete will do so as individuals wearing a neutral uniform, and the official record books will forever show that Russia won zero medals. That was the punishment issued Tuesday to the proud sports juggernaut that has long used the Olympics as a show of global force but was exposed for systematic doping in previously unfathomable ways.
The International Olympic Committee, after completing its own prolonged investigations that reiterated what had been known for more than a year, handed Russia penalties for doping so severe they were without precedent in Olympics history.” - “Russia Banned From Winter Olympics by I.O.C.”, NYT.
The International Olympic Committee, after completing its own prolonged investigations that reiterated what had been known for more than a year, handed Russia penalties for doping so severe they were without precedent in Olympics history.” - “Russia Banned From Winter Olympics by I.O.C.”, NYT.
As Ellis Cashmore said, the IOC’s decision to ban Russia from the Olympics “is arguably the most overt expression of political intervention in sport in history.” …
So the IOC has decided to use the testimony of a man [Grigory Rodchenkov, a fugitive with an axe to grind, who was busted by Russia for drug trafficking, had his operation shut down, and fled the country as a fugitive in 2015] who is not only a proven cheater and a liar, but who has also sold out his country. It would be interesting to hear why the IOC thinks the dissembling Mr. Rodchenko’s claims can be trusted?
It’s also worth noting that, there is no proof of a “state-backed doping program”. … “Apart from Rodchenkov’s statements, the other evidence appears inferential and largely uncorroborated. In another social climate in a different era, McLaren’s report would have met with skepticism or, at very least, a demand for proof. Not today.”
That’s for sure. It seems like any ridiculous anti-Russia slander one can conjure up will eventually be splashed across the headlines of one of America’s top newspapers. …
a small number of independent-minded readers who’ve been able to cut through the state propaganda and figure out what’s really going on. … a few of their comments: …
Equilibrium–There is no doubt that this is a politically motivated decision. One “witness” (Rodchenkov who has problems with law in Russia against which he gives information) is enough to recognize the whole country as guilty? This is ridiculous.
Maureen– I think it’s more about Russia’s refusal to go along with the New World Disorder in so many ways. Continuing to persecute Russia while so many other BAD countries continue funding terror, etc, is grossly unfair and absolutely strange.
Max– So Russians were banned not because there was solid proof found in blood and urine tests. but by vials appearing scratched and by accounts of husband a wife that were busted by Russians themselves for (wife) using PEDs) and (husband) being a corrupt liar.
Graf von Sponek– So, we have a doping case with no doping found. The decision was based on (1) testimony of a single paid informant, and (2) analysis of scratches on the sample vials that supposedly indicated that the samples were “tampered with”. Yet the final report on this analysis results has not been made public yet. Any judge in USA will through a case out of court, if the prosecutors came in with “Your Honor, we have some circumstantial evidence, but we can’t disclose it yet”….
Liz Carlson– We should not ban an entire country for what some athletes have done in the past. Athletes who have been training hard their entire lives deserve the chance to earn a medal for their country, regardless of its behavior.
Maureen– I think it’s more about Russia’s refusal to go along with the New World Disorder in so many ways. Continuing to persecute Russia while so many other BAD countries continue funding terror, etc, is grossly unfair and absolutely strange.
Max– So Russians were banned not because there was solid proof found in blood and urine tests. but by vials appearing scratched and by accounts of husband a wife that were busted by Russians themselves for (wife) using PEDs) and (husband) being a corrupt liar.
Graf von Sponek– So, we have a doping case with no doping found. The decision was based on (1) testimony of a single paid informant, and (2) analysis of scratches on the sample vials that supposedly indicated that the samples were “tampered with”. Yet the final report on this analysis results has not been made public yet. Any judge in USA will through a case out of court, if the prosecutors came in with “Your Honor, we have some circumstantial evidence, but we can’t disclose it yet”….
Liz Carlson– We should not ban an entire country for what some athletes have done in the past. Athletes who have been training hard their entire lives deserve the chance to earn a medal for their country, regardless of its behavior.
goldenequity
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Raginfridus
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That'd be cool of them. Aren't Palestinians and refugees/political exiles allowed to participate that way?
stuntman stoll
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Just watched the documentary Icarus which is mostly about the main Russian guy responsible for the doping, and it is fantastic.
Swordsmyth
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Russia's Federation Council is circulating a draft detailing new sanctions that would affect at least 10 people in the West. According to Russia's RBC news agency, the list of sanctions targets includes Olympic officials as well as Robert Mueller, the special prosecutor investigating Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections. The sanctions are a response to the decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to bar the Russian Olympic team from participating in the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympics as a result of the investigation into a state cover-up at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, of widespread doping among Russian athletes. The same investigation prompted the IOC to strip Russian athletes of 13 of the medals they had won during the Sochi Games.Many Russians — particularly Russian President Vladimir Putin — took the IOC decision personally, viewing it as a U.S.-coordinated attack on Russia and what was supposed to be a sign of the country's return to global prominence. After the United States organized a 66-country boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics, Russia did not want to be humiliated on the global stage again. To build up its international reputation, it spent a staggering $51 billion, the most of any country, on hosting the 2014 Olympics and attempted to earn medals by flushing its sports programs with cash. But not only were several Russians stripped of their medals in Sochi, its athletes are barred from competing under the Russian flag in the Pyeongchang Olympics, which start Feb. 8.
In response, the proposed Russian sanctions target the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chief Craig Reedy; the head of WADA's special investigation into the Sochi Olympics, Richard McClaren; and a group of individuals mentioned in hacked WADA emails. According to RBC sources, Russia may expand the sanctions but is waiting to do so at least until after the conclusion of the Pyongchang Olympics, and possibly even after Russia hosts soccer's World Cup in June.
More at: https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/russia-when-it-comes-olympics-russia-isnt-playing-games
In response, the proposed Russian sanctions target the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chief Craig Reedy; the head of WADA's special investigation into the Sochi Olympics, Richard McClaren; and a group of individuals mentioned in hacked WADA emails. According to RBC sources, Russia may expand the sanctions but is waiting to do so at least until after the conclusion of the Pyongchang Olympics, and possibly even after Russia hosts soccer's World Cup in June.
More at: https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/russia-when-it-comes-olympics-russia-isnt-playing-games
AZJoe
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Russia’s Olympians win case against International Olympic Committee
Two months ago, when the International Olympic Committee decided to suspend the Russian Olympic Committee and to ban Russian athletes from competing in the coming Winter Olympics in PyeongChang in South Korea under their own flag – allowing only a selected few Russian athletes to compete under the Olympic flag and by invitation only – I expressed … my own total incomprehension at this decision. …
the decision seemed … to make no legal sense since it contradicted the findings of the International Olympic Committee’s own Schmid report, which concluded that there was no evidence of any government organized state sponsored doping scheme in Russia. Schmid … admits that there is in fact no evidence of a government organized state sponsored doping conspiracy in Russia …
Given that this is so, why is former Sports Minister Mutko against whom no evidence of wrongdoing exists being banned from participating in the Olympic Games for the rest of his life? Why is the Russian Olympic Committee being suspended, when no evidence of the involvement of any of its members in the doping scheme exists? …
The anti-doping systems now put in place in Russia are now universally acknowledged to be just about the best in the world … Given that this is so … why is action being taken to prevent them competing on the same basis as everyone else?
In reality the decision of the International Olympic Committee … has nothing to do either with sport or doping or the principles of legality. …
the situation then went from bad to worse, with the International Olympic Committee banning Russian athletes against whom no evidence of involvement in doping exists or has ever existed. The decisions moreover were made in secret, with no real explanation of how or why they were being made. …
I suspect that the Russians privately believe that the true reason why Russian athletes with clean records were being banned was because they were seen as posing an increasingly dangerous threat to the medal hopes of US athletes. There also seems to have been a secondary desire to humiliate Russia by knocking it off its position at the top of the Sochi Winter Games’ medal table.
The anger in Russia on this issue perhaps explains the current runaway success in Russia of the film ‘Going Vertical’, which tells the story of how the Soviet basketball team beat the US national team at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. … the film … has become the country’s most successful home grown production …
Regardless, the first legal consequences of the International Olympic Committee’s decisions became evident today when three separate panels of the Lausanne based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) unanimously decided to lift lifetime bans imposed by the International Olympic Committee on 28 Russian athletes against whom no evidence of doping violations exists, and to reduce the time limits of bans imposed on 11 others. …
the International Olympic Committee is saying that it may defy these CAS decisions, so that the Russians athletes whose bans CAS has lifted may still be prevented from participating … the Olympic Charter apparently says that the International Olympic Committee is bound by CAS’s decisions, …
Needless to say that is not only completely illegal; it is also grossly discriminatory and morally wrong. …
The Schmid report in fact found no evidence – much less “overwhelming evidence” – of a government organized state sponsored doping scheme in Russia, and in evidence given to Schmid Professor McLaren himself in effect admitted that he had no proof that a government organized state sponsored doping scheme had been operating in Russia.
The Russians for their part are saying that if the International Olympic Committee continues to defy the CAS decisions by preventing Russian athletes whose bans have been lifted from participating in the PyeongChang Games then they will bring legal action against the International Olympic Committee in the Swiss civil courts. … no doubt that they will do so, and given the CAS decisions … no doubt they will win.
Two months ago, when the International Olympic Committee decided to suspend the Russian Olympic Committee and to ban Russian athletes from competing in the coming Winter Olympics in PyeongChang in South Korea under their own flag – allowing only a selected few Russian athletes to compete under the Olympic flag and by invitation only – I expressed … my own total incomprehension at this decision. …
the decision seemed … to make no legal sense since it contradicted the findings of the International Olympic Committee’s own Schmid report, which concluded that there was no evidence of any government organized state sponsored doping scheme in Russia. Schmid … admits that there is in fact no evidence of a government organized state sponsored doping conspiracy in Russia …
Given that this is so, why is former Sports Minister Mutko against whom no evidence of wrongdoing exists being banned from participating in the Olympic Games for the rest of his life? Why is the Russian Olympic Committee being suspended, when no evidence of the involvement of any of its members in the doping scheme exists? …
The anti-doping systems now put in place in Russia are now universally acknowledged to be just about the best in the world … Given that this is so … why is action being taken to prevent them competing on the same basis as everyone else?
In reality the decision of the International Olympic Committee … has nothing to do either with sport or doping or the principles of legality. …
the situation then went from bad to worse, with the International Olympic Committee banning Russian athletes against whom no evidence of involvement in doping exists or has ever existed. The decisions moreover were made in secret, with no real explanation of how or why they were being made. …
I suspect that the Russians privately believe that the true reason why Russian athletes with clean records were being banned was because they were seen as posing an increasingly dangerous threat to the medal hopes of US athletes. There also seems to have been a secondary desire to humiliate Russia by knocking it off its position at the top of the Sochi Winter Games’ medal table.
The anger in Russia on this issue perhaps explains the current runaway success in Russia of the film ‘Going Vertical’, which tells the story of how the Soviet basketball team beat the US national team at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. … the film … has become the country’s most successful home grown production …
Regardless, the first legal consequences of the International Olympic Committee’s decisions became evident today when three separate panels of the Lausanne based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) unanimously decided to lift lifetime bans imposed by the International Olympic Committee on 28 Russian athletes against whom no evidence of doping violations exists, and to reduce the time limits of bans imposed on 11 others. …
the International Olympic Committee is saying that it may defy these CAS decisions, so that the Russians athletes whose bans CAS has lifted may still be prevented from participating … the Olympic Charter apparently says that the International Olympic Committee is bound by CAS’s decisions, …
Needless to say that is not only completely illegal; it is also grossly discriminatory and morally wrong. …
The Schmid report in fact found no evidence – much less “overwhelming evidence” – of a government organized state sponsored doping scheme in Russia, and in evidence given to Schmid Professor McLaren himself in effect admitted that he had no proof that a government organized state sponsored doping scheme had been operating in Russia.
The Russians for their part are saying that if the International Olympic Committee continues to defy the CAS decisions by preventing Russian athletes whose bans have been lifted from participating in the PyeongChang Games then they will bring legal action against the International Olympic Committee in the Swiss civil courts. … no doubt that they will do so, and given the CAS decisions … no doubt they will win.
AZJoe
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AZJoe
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Serena and Venus Williams and Simone Biles took banned substances, but all were allowed to compete in Rio
http://theduran.com/serena-williams...ok-banned-substances-but-allowed-compete-rio/
WADA allowed US tennis players Serena and Venus Williams to take banned substances, while gymnast Simone Biles failed a doping test and still avoided disqualification. …
US Olympic athletes having their banned substance abuse swept under the rug by WADA …
Of course expect the US Olympic committee … main stream media … to provide a million and one excuses for what the hacked documents expose. ... expect … blaming the “evil Russians” for the hack.
The Fancy Bear hacking group released WADA documents that clearly show star tennis player Serena Williams was allowed to take banned substances such as oxycodone, hydromorphone, prednisone and methylprednisolone in 2010, 2014 and 2015. …
Venus Williams was allowed to take prednisone, prednisolone and triamcinolone among others in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. …
Maria Sharapova was given a two-year suspension for testing positive for taking Mildronate, a drug she took before it was banned, and for health reasons only, on the advice of her doctor over a 10-year period.
America’s sweetheart, gymnast Simone Biles, who won four golden medals in Rio, tested positive for methylphenidate in August, and she was not disqualified nor was she suspended. In 2013 and 2014, she was allowed to take dextroamphetamine.
http://theduran.com/serena-williams...ok-banned-substances-but-allowed-compete-rio/
WADA allowed US tennis players Serena and Venus Williams to take banned substances, while gymnast Simone Biles failed a doping test and still avoided disqualification. …
US Olympic athletes having their banned substance abuse swept under the rug by WADA …
Of course expect the US Olympic committee … main stream media … to provide a million and one excuses for what the hacked documents expose. ... expect … blaming the “evil Russians” for the hack.
The Fancy Bear hacking group released WADA documents that clearly show star tennis player Serena Williams was allowed to take banned substances such as oxycodone, hydromorphone, prednisone and methylprednisolone in 2010, 2014 and 2015. …
Venus Williams was allowed to take prednisone, prednisolone and triamcinolone among others in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. …
Maria Sharapova was given a two-year suspension for testing positive for taking Mildronate, a drug she took before it was banned, and for health reasons only, on the advice of her doctor over a 10-year period.
America’s sweetheart, gymnast Simone Biles, who won four golden medals in Rio, tested positive for methylphenidate in August, and she was not disqualified nor was she suspended. In 2013 and 2014, she was allowed to take dextroamphetamine.
