- Joined
- Sep 8, 2018
They (WADA) are not talking about athletes. Basically, they said "Russia has no legitimate system for doping checks, so all Russian athletes that supposed to be checked by their national agency are actually unchecked, we cannot trust those checks". Plus "there is another attempt on cheating so there has to be punishment". Current problem is not with the doping itself (when there is positive medical analysis check), it is with database modifications, basically cheating.What really angers me is that there is no fresh evidence. They are still recycling the old stuff. Is there any evidence of state sponsored wrong-doing before 2016 and 2018 Olympics? Any reaction to what Russia did like strping off the ranks of high level officials including Mutko, establishing criminal prosecution related to doping, etc.? Why are we talking about the current crops of the athletes?
Actually it is 2 different things. One is just statement that RUSADA miserably failed (equals to "most athletes no longer have and would not have in the near future valid AD verification"). And without verification you cannot participate.
And 2nd is about punishment for another cheating attempt. 1st problem can be partially solved in case by case basis (f.e. in a way how it was done in 2018, basically athletes have to provide a legal validation in a way they can). 2nd problem I do not know how to solve. WADA cannot do proper investigation against state organization on the territory of that state, they can only say "we do not trust you" to that organization. It's very sad, but I do not know what else can be done, trust is really easy to lose.
I hope they find a way and we will see all Russian figure skaters, but when sport is organized by national basis national problems affect all, including non-related.
And about Mutko, I would not call "striping" changing from "Minister of Sports" to "A Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation".