IOC issues recommendations on RUS/BLR athletes

[4everchan]

RUS bans 42 Canadian Olympians, including Duhamel, Virtue etc

How is this not discrimination of athletes/former athletes based on their passport? I guess it goes both ways right?

Yes, many of these athletes are retired but some are still involved in the sport (for instance, coaching)... Humphries (one of the most decorated athlete in bob) is now competing for the USA... but she is on the list... etc

It is retaliation for having signed a letter saying RUS and BLR athletes should not be at OGames in Paris unless they withdraw from Ukraine.

The list also includes the head of state general governor Mary Simon as well as all MPs from Ontario, BC and Alberta... (no idea why they ddin't ban MPs from Quebec and/or other provinces).

It's in French... probably an easy google translate for those who don't read French.

Quarante-deux athlètes canadiens sur la liste noire de la Russie

Alexandre Bilodeau, Meagan Duhamel et Alex Harvey figurent parmi les 333 nouveaux citoyens canadiens ajoutés mercredi à la liste de personnes bannies par les autorités russes.

ici.radio-canada.ca

 

[AxelLover]

RUS bans 42 Canadian Olympians, including Duhamel, Virtue etc

How is this not discrimination of athletes/former athletes based on their passport? I guess it goes both ways right?

Yes, many of these athletes are retired but some are still involved in the sport (for instance, coaching)... Humphries (one of the most decorated athlete in bob) is now competing for the USA... but she is on the list... etc

It is retaliation for having signed a letter saying RUS and BLR athletes should not be at OGames in Paris unless they withdraw from Ukraine.

The list also includes the head of state general governor Mary Simon as well as all MPs from Ontario, BC and Alberta... (no idea why they ddin't ban MPs from Quebec and/or other provinces).

It's in French... probably an easy google translate for those who don't read French.

Quarante-deux athlètes canadiens sur la liste noire de la Russie

Alexandre Bilodeau, Meagan Duhamel et Alex Harvey figurent parmi les 333 nouveaux citoyens canadiens ajoutés mercredi à la liste de personnes bannies par les autorités russes.

ici.radio-canada.ca

That's awful. I'm one of the people who think that the Russians are being discriminated, but that doesn't give them any right to discriminate Canadians or anyone else.

 

[Amei]

That's awful. I'm one of the people who think that the Russians are being discriminated, but that doesn't give them any right to discriminate Canadians or anyone else.

They aren't discriminating against them, it would appear they didn't randomly pick names or blanket ban all Canadians. It looks like they are making a retaliatory ban of people who are attempting to influence a continued ban of Russian and Belarusian athletes.

 

[MiraiFan]

I don't really understand why there is no mention of actual proper sanctions for systemic and egregious doping violations. They are basically just acting like the war is the only reason to ban anyone. For my eyes, Russia has repeatedly disrespected the Olympic movement - the athlete's promise, the olympic truce etc - and they should be properly banned for at least one Olympics if not more. I may feel for innocent athletes, but I don't know which ones they are.

Right? There should have been a ban in place when all the Sochi stories came out. Using the war (while a horrible thing) seems totally disingenuous to me. An eight year ban from 2014-2022 would have been the way to go.

 

[icewhite]

That's awful. I'm one of the people who think that the Russians are being discriminated, but that doesn't give them any right to discriminate Canadians or anyone else.

I doubt these people want to go to Russia under the current circumstances. Not only do they have no reason to do so, since Russia just finds reasons to imprison anyone they want it is also really dangerous, so... it's just a (pretty meaningless) symbol anyway.

 

[icewhite]

First of all, you are reframing what I said. I'm not asking you to buy what I have said and there's no need to reframe my words either. There's a reason why the attempted coup happened, and why it was supported initially by Dick Button and Paul Wylie at a press conference during Worlds 2003. There's also a number of reasons why the attempt failed.

I will shortly expand on my thoughts and share some history I discovered that I used to wonder about. It answers a lot of questions. But I'll share what I discovered and where I discovered it in a separate thread. Of course, no need for you to read anything or buy anything if you aren't so inclined.

Meanwhile, here's Dick Button's famous 2003 rant, which you can also easily skip:

- YouTube

Auf YouTube findest du die angesagtesten Videos und Tracks. Außerdem kannst du eigene Inhalte hochladen und mit Freunden oder gleich der ganzen Welt teilen.

youtu.be

The coup was, in part, inspired by the 2002 Olympic judging scandal. It grew out of frustration over gnarly issues the sport was facing, but it was largely formulated due to fatigue with and restless opposition against $peedy Cinquanta's unchallenged reign/ regime.

If figure skating would want to break away, they could. They don't, so it seems pretty safe to assume that they don't want to.

 

[lariko]

I feel really bad for all the Canadians who were robbed of the opportunity to shine in the next Great Cup of Saransk.

 

[4everchan]

The point being made is retaliation applied directly to individuals rather than a blanket ban... i believe targeting individuals is worse. Ymmv

 

[4everchan]

I doubt these people want to go to Russia under the current circumstances. Not only do they have no reason to do so, since Russia just finds reasons to imprison anyone they want it is also really dangerous, so... it's just a (pretty meaningless) symbol anyway.

Of course... symbolic but further proof of the political grip on sports... it also adds fuel when it is completely unnecessary.

 

[mrrice]

The point being made is retaliation applied directly to individuals rather than a blanket ban... i believe targeting individuals is worse. Ymmv

So Do I!!. If it's blanket ban, the entire federation will back the athlete's. When they go after individuals, I can see lawyers getting involved.

 

[Amei]

The point being made is retaliation applied directly to individuals rather than a blanket ban... i believe targeting individuals is worse. Ymmv

It's applying a sanction/punishment to an individual for THEIR WORDS OR ACTIONS, aka things they have control over.

 

[Sjs5572]

It's applying a sanction/punishment to an individual for THEIR WORDS OR ACTIONS, aka things they have control over.

Well, IMHO, the "punishment" is a badge of honor. Congrats to the "sanctionees."

 

[4everchan]

It's applying a sanction/punishment to an individual for THEIR WORDS OR ACTIONS, aka things they have control over.

Sure... as you know, tessa virtue couldn't care less... but people in Russia now have a name to refer to... what it is : propaganda

 

[Minz]

A few other government officials were also on this list. But really, I highly doubt that this is going to affect Megan and Tessa all that much unless they were planning a vacation in Russia for whatever reason.

 

[4everchan]

A few other government officials were also on this list. But really, I highly doubt that this is going to affect Megan and Tessa all that much unless they were planning a vacation in Russia for whatever reason.

As I said, it will not affect those athletes because I doubt they were planning to travel to Russia in the current circumstances. The issue I am raising is that these sanctions are not made to scare away former Canadian athletes and members of parliament... However, it is politically instrumentalizing sport again... which is a slap on the face of the IOC or anyone who dares pretending that passports shouldn't matter in competitive sport. One cannot demand that their athletes are reinstated and issue sanctions on former Olympians at the same time. It also serves internally, showing what can happen to anyone voicing their opposition to war. Kasaktina and Rublev (Russian tennis players) both voiced their opinion against the war.... will they get sanctioned? To me it's one thing : sport propaganda

 

[Anna K.]

As symbolic as this list is, it shows the direction where the process is going. Which is, the Russian authorities choose to "ban" (quote marks because athletes are banned from events in which they never participated or planned to participate) foreign athletes in revenge and leave things there instead of searching ways how to send Russian athletes to international competitions (they could via competitions in China, for example).

 

[AxelLover]

They aren't discriminating against them, it would appear they didn't randomly pick names or blanket ban all Canadians. It looks like they are making a retaliatory ban of people who are attempting to influence a continued ban of Russian and Belarusian athletes.

You're right, but these selective bans are just as low.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

I think the proposal is a good compromise. While it might be unacceptable for Russia, athletes should not be pressured to publicly support a war effort and a ban on such statements is fully justified. If Russia chooses to punish its athletes over that, then it is solely to blame. As individuals (and pairs), the Russian athletes are sorely missed at these big events.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

If figure skating would want to break away, they could. They don't, so it seems pretty safe to assume that they don't want to.

Whether the figure skating group wants to or not is a moot point, since speed skating has held on tight, and there simply isn't enough organized gumption to split away, nor has there ever been obviously. This, despite the fact there was dissatisfied grumbling for years by fs members, especially during the $peedy Cinquanta regime era. I know time has passed since then, and some concessions for equal governance have been made.

Those who have been fans for 25 years or less, don't have the historical perspective that fans have who've watched the sport for over 50 years.

Plus, I've been reading up on some of the fascinating history, which again, I think is worth sharing in a separate thread.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

the Russian athletes are sorely missed at these big events.

If you run a poll, it might be 50/50 in terms of fans missing/ not missing; and 65/ 35 re skaters and coaches NOT missing/ missing.