Russia banned from international athletic competition

[elvis15]

Breaking News ‏@BreakingNews  1h1 hour ago

IAAF bans Russia from international athletic competition for doping violations - @SINow http://www.breakingnews.com/t/BREE 

In 2015 IAAF hit controversy when it was revealed that a third of medals (146, including 55 golds) in endurance events at the Olympics and World Championships between 2001 and 2012 were won by athletes who have recorded suspicious drug tests, but the IAAF had caught none of them. Scientific expert Parisotto said: "Never have I seen such an alarmingly abnormal set of blood values. So many athletes appear to have doped with impunity, and it is damning that the IAAF appears to have idly sat by and let this happen." The World Anti-Doping Agency said that it was "very disturbed by these new allegations" and would investigate. Later in 2015 the IAAF was accused of suppressing an additional study that found that a third of the world's top athletes admitted violating anti-doping rules. 

http://www.france24.com/en/20151113-russia-provisionally-suspended-iaaf-doping-scandal

Athletics giant Russia was provisionally suspended from track and field on Friday over accusations of "state-sponsored" doping as the IAAF scrambled to salvage the sport's credibility just nine months out from the Rio Olympics.

"Today we have been dealing with the failure of ARAF (All-Russia Athletic Federation) and made the decision to provisionally suspend them, the toughest sanction we can apply at this time," IAAF president Sebastian Coe said.

"But we discussed and agreed that the whole system has failed the athletes, not just in Russia, but around the world.

"This has been a shameful wake-up call and we are clear that cheating at any level will not be tolerated."

Russian Mikhail Butov, an IAAF council member and ARAF secretary general, presented his country's position before 24 of the 27-strong IAAF Council chaired by Coe.

But the council returned a vote of 22 for and 1 against, the simple majority confirming a suspension for Russia, who were accused of widespread doping by an independent commission set up by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in a report which has shaken track and field, one of the Olympic Games' flagship sports.

In that report, commission head Dick Pound, a former president of WADA, called for Russia to be suspended for 2016 "so that they can take the remedial work in time to make sure that Russian athletes can compete under a new framework".

The IAAF said the consequences of the provisional suspension were that "athletes and athlete support personnel from Russia may not compete in International Competitions including World Athletic Series competitions and the Olympic Games".

It also means Russia "will not be entitled to host the 2016 World Race Walking Cup (Cheboksary) and 2016 World Junior Championships (Kazan)".

The IAAF added: "To regain membership to the IAAF the new federation would have to fulfil a list of criteria.

"An inspection team led by Independent Chair Rune Andersen, an independent international anti-doping expert (Norwegian) and three members of the IAAF Council who will be appointed in the next few days." 

Heard about the allegations recently but this is a significant step. So long as the bribery and issues at all levels are addressed, it'll be better for sport vs just Russia being made example of in a show.

[MJDDawg]

The IAAF have been turning a blind eye to this crap for years and now they've be called out by WADA.

They had no choice and had to do this. Hopefully it's a start towards cleaning up the sport.

[HK Phooey]

They should just give Ben Johnson back his gold that he won in Seoul.  The world of Olympic and international track and field is wrought with cheaters.  Though never found guilty, Carl Lewis was probably just as dirty as Johnson.  

[Warhippy]

Great news, especially leading up to the olympics next summer.

 

With the knowledge russia state sponsored screening has been fixed for over a decade this was the only logical step

[The Lock]

Not that I really want to bring politics into a thread like this (although I would imagine this will come up eventually here given the nature of the story), but this seems to just be the latest incident in a series of, not just sports, but political events. It's actually kind of scary to think about the downward spiral of international relations between Russia and much of the world.

[BanTSN]

Psst, I'm going to tell you a secret.  ALL these athletes who win endurance events have been doping. 

When are we just going to accept it and move on?  People are interested in records being broken and humans getting better at these events.  That requires all means necessary.

[The Lock]

Psst, I'm going to tell you a secret.  ALL these athletes who win endurance events have been doping. 

When are we just going to accept it and move on?  People are interested in records being broken and humans getting better at these events.  That requires all means necessary.

Disagree. It's too easy to come up with such a conspiracy based on partial information. It's doubtful this is the case merely given the numerous personality types in the world.

[Lancaster]

Only Russia?  Obviously this move is more political than actual attempt to clean up the sport. 

There's probably dozens of other countries that probably deserve some extra scrutiny.  China might be a good candidate for that.... but you know, you don't want to offend them or be labelled as racist.

[TheRussianRocket.]

Psst, I'm going to tell you a secret.  ALL these athletes who win endurance events have been doping. 

When are we just going to accept it and move on?  People are interested in records being broken and humans getting better at these events.  That requires all means necessary.

I completely agree. My family friend is an ex-Olympian. He competed in triathlons and numerous races. Did it for 30+ years fulltime and is partially retired doing it part time now. 

Long story short, lives here in BC, he trained me to run and cycle for a few years and continues to. He's told me the truth of athletes and he says a clear cut majority dope. The ones that don't can't compete with the rest. Just not possible for the body to perform at that high of a level naturally. I mean it is, but if you're looking to shatter world records, you need other sorts of substances to help get you to that level.

He did at one point, but only to go above natural limits and this was for during his prime years. Everyone did. It's not really considered "cheating" in the eyes of athletes, because they do it to push themselves by means you couldn't without. Those that dope don't magically becomes better than everyone. They have to train harder than they used to in order for it everything to click.

It's a subject of it's own but I've come to realization of it. People have their opinions but this is the reality of it. 

[Alflives]

I completely agree. My family friend is an ex-Olympian. He competed in triathlons and numerous races. Did it for 30+ years fulltime and is partially retired doing it part time now. 

Long story short, lives here in BC, he trained me to run and cycle for a few years and continues to. He's told me the truth of athletes and he says a clear cut majority dope. The ones that don't can't compete with the rest. Just not possible for the body to perform at that high of a level naturally. I mean it is, but if you're looking to shatter world records, you need other sorts of substances to help get you to that level.

He did at one point, but only to go above natural limits and this was for during his prime years. Everyone did. It's not really considered "cheating" in the eyes of athletes, because they do it to push themselves by means you couldn't without. Those that dope don't magically becomes better than everyone. They have to train harder than they used to in order for it everything to click.

It's a subject of it's own but I've come to realization of it. People have their opinions but this is the reality of it. 

do not these drugs allow the athlete to train harder and more often too?

[BanTSN]

Only Russia?  Obviously this move is more political than actual attempt to clean up the sport. 

There's probably dozens of other countries that probably deserve some extra scrutiny.  China might be a good candidate for that.... but you know, you don't want to offend them or be labelled as racist.

It's not a coincidence that this comes during heightened tensions between the US and Russia, the good old cold war distraction.

[canuktravella]

http://www.france24.com/en/20151113-russia-provisionally-suspended-iaaf-doping-scandal

Heard about the allegations recently but this is a significant step. So long as the bribery and issues at all levels are addressed, it'll be better for sport vs just Russia being made example of in a show.

 idont think the russians care about  the rules    

[Hairy Kneel]

Betcha Bettman's behind all this.

[ice orca]

I can remember when the East German women's swimming team was all men..at least they looked like it. The women weight lifters were men as well.

[Mr.DirtyDangles]

I completely agree. My family friend is an ex-Olympian. He competed in triathlons and numerous races. Did it for 30+ years fulltime and is partially retired doing it part time now. 

Long story short, lives here in BC, he trained me to run and cycle for a few years and continues to. He's told me the truth of athletes and he says a clear cut majority dope. The ones that don't can't compete with the rest. Just not possible for the body to perform at that high of a level naturally. I mean it is, but if you're looking to shatter world records, you need other sorts of substances to help get you to that level.

He did at one point, but only to go above natural limits and this was for during his prime years. Everyone did. It's not really considered "cheating" in the eyes of athletes, because they do it to push themselves by means you couldn't without. Those that dope don't magically becomes better than everyone. They have to train harder than they used to in order for it everything to click.

It's a subject of it's own but I've come to realization of it. People have their opinions but this is the reality of it. 

So sad but true. Know an ex pro body builder and you get left in the dust if you dont dope.

[Mr.DirtyDangles]

Disagree. It's too easy to come up with such a conspiracy based on partial information. It's doubtful this is the case merely given the numerous personality types in the world.

Lol the Tour De Dope begs to differ.   So many champions were dopers. I dont doubt for a second that evey pro league in the world is full of dopers trying to get an edge over their competition. The technology to mask it is a constantly advancing.

[TheRussianRocket.]

So sad but true. Know an ex pro body builder and you get left in the dust if you dont dope.

Yep. And it's not a bad thing imo. They aren't "cheating". They're doing it to become the best them they can be. And naturally, you have limitations. The body can only take so much before it begins taking a toll on you and requires rest. These so called "cheaters", all they do is take PEDs that help them rest and recover at a much much, much quicker pace while allows them to reach heights you couldn't otherwise without them. 

I can go into details but just don't want to. One big thing is the general public views "doping" as cheating. That's conpletely wrong. These athletes aren't "cheating", they take these substances to reach levels you couldn't come close to otherwise and as human beings, that's technology and people adapting, advancing, and progressing. I just think there's a big group of society that thinks PEDs = instant success. Doesn't work that way. You take em, and have to push that much more in order to get the worth out of it. It's pretty much like training naturally, but taking something which allows you to shatter through your previous natural limits and let's you just reach heights you couldn't else wise. 

Imo, I get it sucks when a doper gets caught but bet you vast majority of the others are doing it as well. I think they should just allow PEDs altogether and that way, it's an even playing field and the people that want to work the hardest to become the best can achieve it / no excuses athlete x doped so that's why he works and trains harder than the others. 

[Mr.DirtyDangles]

Yep. And it's not a bad thing imo. They aren't "cheating". They're doing it to become the best them they can be. And naturally, you have limitations. The body can only take so much before it begins taking a toll on you and requires rest. These so called "cheaters", all they do is take PEDs that help them rest and recover at a much much, much quicker pace while allows them to reach heights you couldn't otherwise without them. 

I can go into details but just don't want to. One big thing is the general public views "doping" as cheating. That's conpletely wrong. These athletes aren't "cheating", they take these substances to reach levels you couldn't come close to otherwise and as human beings, that's technology and people adapting, advancing, and progressing. I just think there's a big group of society that thinks PEDs = instant success. Doesn't work that way. You take em, and have to push that much more in order to get the worth out of it. It's pretty much like training naturally, but taking something which allows you to shatter through your previous natural limits and let's you just reach heights you couldn't else wise. 

Imo, I get it sucks when a doper gets caught but bet you vast majority of the others are doing it as well. I think they should just allow PEDs altogether and that way, it's an even playing field and the people that want to work the hardest to become the best can achieve it / no excuses athlete x doped so that's why he works and trains harder than the others. 

I fully understand and agree and to an extent to allow it in sport but in separate leagues outside of the clean leagues so that everyone can actually see the difference for science of course lol.  A close friend is a personal trainer. When he was studying and learning about it all I sponged a bit off him

Particularly pertaining to HGH. I found the same in terms of sure you are gaining in all categories hard and while you can go twice as far, throw 30% harder etc etc..... the trade off is you will break sooner rather than later becasue you are now able to go that much harder, faster, longer........ lool.

HIT training can achieve insane results but the juice still beats that system all the time in terms of power and endurance, provided you are on a super clean diet and maintain a rigorous regime during  cycles.

As a result you technically have to train harder while doping to get to that ultimate plateau.

 

[Gurn]

My mind goes back to a John Belushi SNL skit, John dresses in a body suit for "The All Drug Olympics". Ends up ripping his arms off.  " Ohh the big Russian will feel that in the morning"

[Mr.DirtyDangles]

 idont think the russians care about  the rules    

In Russia rules break you !