The Rio 2016 Olympics are almost a week old but the controversy around drug doping and the Russian National Team being allowed to compete in these Olympics is still at the forefront. The IOC for some strange and incredibly stupid reason, allowed 271 Russian athletes to compete in the Rio Olympics including numerous athletes who not only tested positive once, but some twice and some numerous times. It is very evident in the swimming competition that the athletes from many Countries are not happy that the Russian athletes that have tested positive are allowed to compete in the swimming events. Making it worse is a few of the Russian swimmers have flaunted their wins by taunting the other swimmers. Of course both Russia and the IOC would love this to be swept under the rug and everyone get caught up in the Olympics and forget about what they have conspired and the IOC allowed to happen!
The IOC, whose ethics and morals have come under fire and question for many years, once again was spineless and choose to not do the right thing in expelling all Russian athletes for the Olympics. They originally chose to let each Governing body decide whether the athletes should be in the Olympics but then decided to allow a certain amount of athletes to compete. There was no rhyme or reason as to the process for choosing which athletes or how in less than a week they choose to allow 271 athletes to compete many who had tested positive for drop doping that the Russian National Sports Federation encouraged and helped the athletes to cheat and performed the drug doping! If the IOC had followed what the Paralympics decided to do in regards to the Russian athletes, everyone would of applauded the IOC and the drug doping controversy wouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence of athletes winning medals in these Olympics.
But alas, the IOC once again made the wrong decision and no matter how many Russian athletes win medals at these Olympics in Rio, there will be questions and an asterisk should be placed next to all those who won from Russia for no one truly knows if any or all the 271 Russian athletes were, or had ,or still are drug doping that gave them an illegal advantage against their competitors. As of Day 6 of the Rio Olympics, Russian athletes had won 56 medals. I feel sorry for all the athletes from all the other 199 Countries who didn't do the drug doping and got to the Rio Olympics by hard work, athleticism, and perseverance that lost to one of the Russian athletes in their event and it cost them a medal. Picture all the athletes from all the other Countries next to an athlete from Russia wondering if the athlete is clean or were they one who had and has been drug doping all along. It has to be a terrible feeling right before your event to have to be thinking about this all the time.. These are the athletes who we should feel sorry for and be outraged by what the IOC did and we should call on the IOC to reform their laws on drug offenses so that this never ever happens again!
The IOC is anything but transparent in what they do, most of their dealings and rulings seem to be done secretly and behind closed doors. They seem to have Carte Blanche when it comes to whatever they do without any regards to what is right or wrong. I question why the IOC would even let any Russian athlete participate in the Rio2016 Olympics after they had concluded that the Russian Sports Federation was responsible for allowing and helping their athletes cheat and drug dope to gain an unfair advantage!
In my opinion and only my opinion, the rules on cheating and using drugs is simple, a zero tolerance policy is needed, first offense is a 2 yr expulsion, 2nd offense is lifetime! No ifs, no buts, no excuses at all!! Make sure the testing is 100% accurate and that the procedures in place are air tight and all Countries and athletes understand what they are and what the ramifications are if an athlete is caught cheating! In regards to the World Championships and Olympics, I would make sure all athletes are randomly tested within 6 months of the scheduled events along with random testing throughout the year. Yes, I know there were 11,000 plus athletes for these Olympics, but the IOC needs to figure out a way to make sure all athletes are properly tested before and at the Olympic games especially the athletes who win medals. If the IOC wants to make sure the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeoungChang and 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo do not have a huge Black Cloud over them because of another drug doping scandal, the IOC needs to step up, get a spine and make sure the athletes are all competing within the same guidelines and all athletes have been tested within a period of time before the next Olympics! The big question is, Can and Will the IOC do the right thing and not succumb to pressure or back door deals and let cheaters taint what are the greatest events for athletes in the World competing for medals! How more Russian athletes will win medals at the Rio 2016 Olympics that they didn't deserve that in fact, an athlete who didn't cheat was cheated out of their medal? Restore the Olympics to the luster and greatness that they once were!!!!!!
twitter; cupofjoeinthed email; cupofjoeinthed@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment