Worldwide sporting events have a clear political nature: nation-states enter the stadium under their national anthem, represent their countries, and, in the case of victory, their rank increases. “Therefore an appropriate sanction was applied in order to preserve the status of the sport”.
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The Russian Olympic team will not be banned from the competition in Rio de Janeiro.
Over 100 Russian athletes have so far been banned from the Games after the World Anti-Doping Agency uncovered an elaborate doping system directed by Russia’s sports ministry across more than 30 sports.
In justifying its actions against Russia, the IWF said retests of samples from seven Russian weightlifters who took part in the 2008 Beijing Olympics or 2012 London Olympics resulted in positive tests.
“And to ensure the level playing field for the clean athlete is there and they stand a chance to win based on talent, not medication”, Rado Zone V Executive Manager, Christine Mugera, noted.
Chef de Mission Kitty Chiller announced on Wednesday that the balance had been tipped by the eight female rowers who were invited to compete after Russian athletes in the same event were banned.
After the World Anti-Doping Agency accused the Russian government of directing a vast doping cover-up, the International Olympic Committee said it would not allow Russians to compete in Rio if they had previously been banned for doping, were implicated in the alleged cover-up or had not been tested often enough internationally.
Weightlifting became the second sport after track and field to issue blanket bans on Russian athletes.
After the launch of the global digital product, the Olympic Channel will “foster partnerships with other Olympic stakeholders, including rights-holding broadcasters and National Olympic Committees to develop localized versions of the Olympic Channel”, the IOC said.
The news will create unease for any athletes – including cyclists – who may have utilised gene doping.
“Unfortunately, they didn’t make an exception for me”, Isinbayeva wrote on Instagram.
The 19 were excluded because World Rowing said they had not been tested often enough by reliable global authorities.
Says Isinbayeva: “The miracle didn’t happen”.
The Olympic Channel is a free platform that will present original programming, live sports events, news and highlights offering additional exposure for sports and athletes all year round. “We have evidence of corruption in the noble sport of the Olympics, but they never wanted to know”.
They include Ivan Podshivalov and Anastasia Karabelshchikova, who were excluded because they previously served doping bans, while Ivan Balandin from Russia’s men’s eight was implicated in the McLaren report, World Rowing said.
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“The Russian Weightlifting Federation will be barred from recommending, entering or participating with athletes and Technical Officials”.
