The International Olympic Committee Athletes’ Committee expressed its support of the reinstatement of Russian’s Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) earlier this week.
Their tweet on September 19th read, “The IOC Athletes’ Commission have discussed in detail the recommendations of the (WADA) Compliance Review Committee (CRC) and agreed in principle with the recommendations made. We would like to see a clear process & timeline for receiving & fully verifying the lab data.”
The Commission is led by 7-time Olympic medalist Kirsty Coventry, the newly-minted Sports Minister of Zimbabwe, who offered more insight into the athlete organization’s decision to be in support.
“I believe our mandate is to protect ALL clean athletes and I do believe there are clean Russian Athletes. Blanket punishment is unfair to those who compete cleanly and even if there is only one clean Russian Athlete, that Athlete has the RIGHT to be protected,” reads Coventry’s first tweet.
She then explains, “Assuming every Russian Athlete cheats, is unjust. The decision to reinstate RUSADA is positive as it allows for greater transparency through increased testing and access to their Labs & Data by Dec 2018. WADA can then get data necessary to prosecute the doped Athletes.”
Finally, Coventry says, “These processes and strict deadlines need to be adhered to by RUSADA so the clean Russian Athletes are given the chance they deserve and a level playing field is secured for everyone.”
Based on athlete response from a variety of Olympic sports as the RUSADA reinstatement news unfolded, Coventry appears to be in the minority. We reported how American icon Michael Phelps told the media this week, “I’ve complained about it, I’ve testified about it. And still nothing changes. So I guess that then leads us here and where do we go next? What else can be done?”
1/3 I believe our mandate is to protect ALL clean athletes and I do believe there are clean Russian Athletes. Blanket punishment is unfair to those who compete cleanly and even if there is only one clean Russian Athlete, that Athlete has the RIGHT to be protected.
— Kirsty Coventry (@KirstyCoventry) September 22, 2018
2/3 Assuming every Russian Athlete cheats, is unjust. The decision to reinstate RUSADA is positive as it allows for greater transparency through increased testing and access to their Labs & Data by Dec 2018. WADA can then get data necessary to prosecute the doped Athletes.
— Kirsty Coventry (@KirstyCoventry) September 22, 2018
3/3 These processes and strict deadlines need to be adhered to by RUSADA so the clean Russian Athletes are given the chance they deserve and a level playing field is secured for everyone.
— Kirsty Coventry (@KirstyCoventry) September 22, 2018
The problem with Coventry’s reasoning is that this decision isn’t in the interests of clean Russian athletes. How many clean Russian athletes have been denied opportunities because of compatriots that cheated? How many more will be denied in the future? If somehow there are domestically trained and funded clean athletes that have succeeded in spite of this then for how much longer? The McLaren Report established that the doping has been systemic and state sponsored. It’s not the penalties and bans that are really responsible for denying those athletes. How is it in the interests of clean Russian athletes to avoid addressing the root of the problem?
She needs to watch Icarus. Every Russian athlete DOES CHEAT.
The problem here, plain and simply, is that WADA is not an entity independent of the IOC. Until there is a fully independent anti-doping authority or authorities with oversight of testing in Olympic sports, there can be no trust in any of these processes.
I’m with her.
And I don’t think she’s in the minority. You think you are the majority because you are from a large country and your media are strong. We are from small countries so our opinions are not heard and cared about. There are more than 200 nations in the world, only a small fraction of which are politically big. Asia and Africa together cover 70% of the world’s population. What proportion of this population do you think is actually standing by your side?
I never understand the decision to ban a whole nation. If an athlete is tested positive, then ban him/her. That’s simple. It’s just hilarious that even their figure skaters and synchronized swimmers are subject… Read more »
You probably don’t understand what the problem is with the sport in Russia. Dominance in sport is the best short cut to raise low level patriotic feelings and that is what current Russian government needs to stay in power. Russia these days is not richer than her predecessor -Soviet Union. But look how in short period of time they got the most prestigious tournaments. Olympic Game, soccer World Cup, and so many world championships that Soviet Union had not even dreamed about. There was definitely a reason for that.
The attitude that everybody in the world are cheating was cultivated among Russian athletes. That if you don’t do it then first of all you are an idiot. Secondly because… Read more »
*punished
I don’t know what is actually happening in Russia, and I don’t think you know. I’ve never been to Russia and I’m not familiar with people in the system. So there’s no way I can find out whether the Russians are truly thinking like that.
People are telling stories they HEARD OF. Do you know what is the story I frequently hear of? The US officials collude with WADA to make use of TUE rules to let their athletes dope freely without getting caught. People who tell the story have serious figures and facts to support their stories and they deeply believe in what they are talking about. I have no idea whether it is true because I don’t… Read more »
It’s understandable that you cannot know everything. So at some point you have to accept somebody else’s opinion. I don’t insist to be the one whose words should be trusted undoubtedly. But you are wrong if you think that I know nothing about culture and mentality of Russian people and athletes in particular especially in the first two decades after collapse of the Soviet Union. If my experience can be generalized is up to you to decide.
Evgeny Rylov’s generation I don’t know that well.
Now that she is not swimming she is just another bureaucrat
Agree, extremely disappointing coming from Ms. Coventry but not surprising given the very unfortunate and debilitating link between the IOC on which she sits, and WADA. Also, for any number of obvious reasons Phelps is not necessarily the best or most eloquent spokesperson on behalf of U.S. athletes, and he always makes things about himself (for example, I never swam in a clean field, or I am a father and I am going to tell my children about this.) Someone needs to frame the issues more substantively and forcefully, with real suggestions for change and the ability to implement them. The first step is to form a new testing authority de-linked from the IOC, FINA, and WADA.
The problem isn’t about denying the clean athletes. The problem was after the investigation, there were standards that RUSADA was required to meet to get reinstated which they haven’t. This move and argument seems premature given that RUSADA hasn’t met the standards, and from the very recent past are making a mockery of the system. Shame on Coventry and everyone who was a part of this decision.
She doesn’t think RIGHT she thinks LEFT