IOC's banning of Russia from 2018 Olympics | Golden Skate

IOC's banning of Russia from 2018 Olympics

Status
Not open for further replies.

GS Forum Staff

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 11, 2008
Please read before posting:

We understand that the IOC's decision banning Russia from participation in the 2018 Winter Olympics has direct implications on figure skating and Russian skaters and we want Golden Skate posters to have an opportunity to discuss it.


However, Golden Skate's policy regarding talking politics is still in effect. Please keep discussion on the decision and the IOC's actions. Please do not resort to bringing in outside geopolitical issues or attacking other posters and skaters based on their ethnicity or nationally. That includes but not limited to: Accusations of propaganda, policy agendas from presidents and other leaders, references to past bans, taking pot shots at other countries, conspiracy theories, re-hashing what was "right or wrong," snarky posts, etc.

In other words, keep it limited to the IOC decision and how it will affect figure skaters and figure skating competitions at the Olympics.

In addition, please do not bicker with each other, call each other names or get into heated arguments and drag down the thread. In the end, we're all figure skating fans regardless of where we're from. Please keep that in mind as you post.

GS Forum staff will moderate accordingly and will give infractions to those who violate these guidelines. Please help us by reporting posts that break guidelines and are not in the spirit of productive discussion.

 
Last edited by a moderator:

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
No responses. Um please are we going to see the skaters or not? What’s the deal..clean athlete no dope history. No flag nor anthem. Will the skaters be able to skate or will Russia boycott.
 

ChanClan

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 4, 2017
I understand why the IOC made this decision, I just wish that they could have come up with a way to still punish Russia were it was clear that the IOC won't put up with doping but still allowed Russia's innocent athletes to still be able to compete under their flag and with their anthem.
 

Seren

Wakabond Forever
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 21, 2014
I understand why the IOC made this decision, I just wish that they could have come up with a way to still punish Russia were it was clear that the IOC won't put up with doping but still allowed Russia's innocent athletes to still be able to compete under their flag and with their anthem.

I agree with this. As a fan of fair sport, Russia's doping program needed a consequence that was more than a slap on the wrist. But the ban is unfair to clean skaters (and other athletes). The skaters did nothing wrong and they deserve to be able to represent their country.

Unfortunately this is a situation without any clear right answer.
 

Mista Ekko

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 9, 2009
I agree with this. As a fan of fair sport, Russia's doping program needed a consequence that was more than a slap on the wrist. But the ban is unfair to clean skaters (and other athletes). The skaters did nothing wrong and they deserve to be able to represent their country.

Unfortunately this is a situation without any clear right answer.

I still don't get it

I thought the decision allows the athletes to compete but just not as representatives of Russia
and after doping related filtering, Is that not the solution you're talking about?

I mean, Russia's actions following this decision are uncertain but could be predicted due to the proud
nature of the country, But that's not really something the IOC needs to consider i think,
They have given the athletes an option
 

GGFan

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 9, 2013
Given the evidence I completely understand the decision. But the fallout is real and this has caused a huge disruption in the world of sports. The punishment comes too late and affects some of the wrong individuals. The goal of course should be to either prevent these abuses or to catch them early on.

I have very little faith that the loopholes have been closed given that WADA was completely caught flat footed. (e.g. How are you advertising a tamper resistant vial that you have to break open, yet someone is able to get into it and leave no marks visible to the human eye?) Anti-doping efforts are still very much at the mercy of whistleblowers. The IOC didn't even have enough clout to get a screening of Icarus before August. It feels like they're always 5 steps behind and unless there is some agreement with international law enforcement it doesn't look good going forward.

Hopefully it doesn't have to come to something like this again, where athletes are unable to hear their own anthems when they win gold.
 

ChanClan

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 4, 2017
I still don't get it

I thought the decision allows the athletes to compete but just not as representatives of Russia
and after doping related filtering, Is that not the solution you're talking about?

I mean, Russia's actions following this decision are uncertain but could be predicted due to the proud
nature of the country, But that's not really something the IOC needs to consider i think,
They have given the athletes an option

The athletes are still allowed to compete under the OAR/neutral flag as long as the IOC approves them and Russia doesn't boycott

But the Olympics are very nationalistic. People go to represent their country and now these athletes don't get to compete under the Russian flag, wear the Russian uniforms, and if they win a gold medal they don't get their national anthem played. Athletes that are innocent and clean.

That's why we wish there was another way to have Russia face the consequences while still allowing their innocent athletes to compete under their flag.
 

Sabrina

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 13, 2013
It is true I am not Russian but I think it is an honour that olympic hymn is played if you win. I agree national hymn is important for everyone, still the Olympic one should be very honourable. In the end Olympic spirit should be so beautiful. It should be better than the politics of any country.
 

Mista Ekko

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 9, 2009
The athletes are still allowed to compete under the OAR/neutral flag as long as the IOC approves them and Russia doesn't boycott

But the Olympics are very nationalistic. People go to represent their country and now these athletes don't get to compete under the Russian flag, wear the Russian uniforms, and if they win a gold medal they don't get their national anthem played. Athletes that are innocent and clean.

That's why we wish there was another way to have Russia face the consequences while still allowing their innocent athletes to compete under their flag.

I feel like that's a reasonable price to pay
I mean, People are still gonna know where they're from and who they are,
And they'll probably even get more attention (And sympathy) for it

While it's legitimate to feel bad for the Russian athletes caught in all of this,
I feel like this is not stressed out enough:

- - - - - - It is also OK to feel bad for every other athlete over the years who had to enter competitions
while other people were doping around them, Wether they knew and had to shut their lips
or wether they were oblivious to the whole thing, They still missed out on opportunities - - - - - - - -

It's a crappy situation all around
 

gmyers

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
I feel like that's a reasonable price to pay
I mean, People are still gonna know where they're from and who they are,
And they'll probably even get more attention (And sympathy) for it

While it's legitimate to feel bad for the Russian athletes caught in all of this,
I feel like this is not stressed out enough:

It is also OK to feel bad for every other athlete over the years who had to enter competitions
while other people were doping around them, Wether they knew and had to shut their lips
or wether they were oblivious to the whole thing, They still missed out on opportunities

It's a crappy situation all around

I disagree. A lot will never know where Medvedeva or zagitova are from.
 

Mista Ekko

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 9, 2009
I disagree. A lot will never know where Medvedeva or zagitova are from.

They'll be the only ones with no Flag next to their name, People would have heard the story,
People will know

But still, I feel like you've missed my point
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Yes, it's unfair for those that did not participate in the cheating, however - it would do no good if Team Russia was still allowed to claim the medals. It's a catch 22. It's like telling children "if everyone gets good grades this semester we'll have a party with pizza nad ice cream and see a movie" it clearly says EVERYONE... now 2 of the 3 kids have good grades, but the third child decided mom and dad weren't going to not award the siblings who played by the rules, but mom and dad finally called their bluff. Pressure from the siblings (and anger at the kid who tried to skate by - no pun intended) motivates the bad grade kid into pulling their grades up and second semester everyone gets the party.
 

gmyers

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
They'll be the only ones with no Flag next to their name, People would have heard the story,
People will know

But still, I feel like you've missed my point

If and When people see olympic flag next to Medvedeva or zagitova it will be scarlet letter. The Olympic hymn is audio scarlet letter. Even Russians I think won’t like scarlet flag or scarlet hymn. They will not feel sorry for Zagitova or Medvedeva but something was wrong with them not russia.
 

4everchan

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 7, 2015
Country
Martinique
all day we have read how unfair it is for "clean athletes" from Russia... though, really how fair was it for "clean athletes" who didn't win medals because there was cheating and doping?

Punishing the state is needed here and unfortunately, it does include athletes who never cheated... these athletes should direct their anger to their own government not to IOC or WADA or McLaren
 

clflowers

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 27, 2014
This is obviously a challenging set of circumstances, but in my opinion the IOC did a good job in its administration of discipline against Russia. A very strong message had to be sent that this kind state sponsored systemic doping by ANY country would not be tolerated now or ever again. I feel the judgement to allow clean athletes to compete under the Olympic flag is more than fair considering the even harsher penalty that could have been chosen. Is it humiliating to compete without colors, flags, and anthems? Yes, it is, but the punishment had to be humiliating for it to have any meaning. Even the innocent are affected when this kind of illicit activity is condoned, and that too should be felt for the discipline to have any meaning. Bottom line for me: I’m thankful that clean Russian athletes will have the opportunity to compete in February (assuming there’s no boycott). Overall, I can understand that for many this may be a difficult pill to swallow, but I think the IOC made the right decision under difficult circumstances.
 

Princessroja

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 22, 2015
Country
United-States
Apologies if this has already been covered, but the 45 pages of the previous thread is a bit intimidating! If the athletes go under a neutral flag, how does that fit in with the spots that Russia has earned? Do the spots transfer? Do they go down to the next country on the list?
 

gmyers

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
Apologies if this has already been covered, but the 45 pages of the previous thread is a bit intimidating! If the athletes go under a neutral flag, how does that fit in with the spots that Russia has earned? Do the spots transfer? Do they go down to the next country on the list?
Russia isn’t being abolished it’s name is just being suspended. Russia is being recognized as earning spots but then being suspended as a entry name.
I don't think Putin will be sensible. In the end Russian athletes will be victims of both sides.

That’s been the case at least twice before!
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Apologies if this has already been covered, but the 45 pages of the previous thread is a bit intimidating! If the athletes go under a neutral flag, how does that fit in with the spots that Russia has earned? Do the spots transfer? Do they go down to the next country on the list?

My understanding is that the Russian Skating Federation/ISU can decide how athletes would earn one of those neutral flat berths (given they meet IOC requirements). So RSF can decide which 3 Russian ladies can have the spots. My guess if there are spots that aren't taken by Russian athletes, they will be redistributed.
 

Miss Ice

Let the sky fall~
Medalist
Joined
Apr 16, 2006
My understanding is that the Russian Skating Federation/ISU can decide how athletes would earn one of those neutral flat berths (given they meet IOC requirements). So RSF can decide which 3 Russian ladies can have the spots. My guess if there are spots that aren't taken by Russian athletes, they will be redistributed.

Tbh there is no point to this discussion until you hear whether athletes will be allowed to compete today/tomorrow.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top