Russian Athletes Ban Is 'unfair', Says Vladimir Putin

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36565863

It looks as if Russia is going to miss on Rio. Rumours have been circulating about Russia's athletes doping for many years. So I personally think that this is a good move.

But Lord Coe has been like the Three Monkeys about this...he didn't see anything, hear anything or know anything apparently.

[murraymints]

hmmmm...there will be a price to pay I think!!

[-Talbot-]

he didn't see anything, hear anything or know anything apparently.



titter ye not

[bibblebub]

Individual athletes will still be able to compete as neutrals if they can prove that they are clean.

[murraymints]

would they dare though...retribution back home for stepping out alone ?? and the logistics of many many individuals representing nowhere...

[mikey4444]

And just how would they be able to prove that they are clean, this late in the day ?

[ummmm]

By having a pee test.

[murraymints]

will resources allow so many individual checks now and during games ..as well as the usual routine testing ?

[bibblebub]

Since it was an IAAF decision one presumes that they must know how otherwise they would have gone for a blanket ban.

[Old_Geezer]

It;s always unfair when those uninvolved get penalised for the actions of the guilty. But I understand they can compete as independents if they prove "clean". Not for their nation though.

That said the number of drug offences that seem to occur anyway one wonders how much faith that events are won legitimately one can put into any of it.

Then add in those who aren't strictly amateur as they get something for competing in sport and the whole thing seems a charade.

[bibblebub]

(duvets are exempt)

[-Talbot-]

mikey4444
And just how would they be able to prove that they are clean, this late in the day ?





Many clean Russian athletes will have regularly undergone drugs tests ... it's not rocket science.

[murraymints]

will IAAF accept historic test results which they have not supervised directly though given the scale of corruption ??

[ummmm]

Even Jeremy Kyle manages to drug test his 'guests'

[bibblebub]

One can never be 100% sure whether performance-enhancing drugs have been taken - at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics from which competitors have been subsequently disqualified there were stringent drug tests in place and they were circumvented by the drug cheats. The testing is always likely to be one step behind the cheating.

[mikey4444]

The difficulty here is that there are grave doubts that tests that have been done on the past can be relied upon.

Its not just the individual athletes themselves.....its the institutional nature of the drug abuse. There are lots of ways that people can cheat a drug test, and the Russian authorities can no longer be trusted.

[murraymints]

I am sure some russians are ladymen !!

[ummmm]

How can a drugs test be cheated?

[mikey4444]

Bibs...Just seen your post at 08:35....my thoughts exactly !

[murraymints]

i think a cocktail of chemicals can be taken to mask any drugs in tests..and swapping of specimens can occur unless supervised spot testing

[murraymints]

and the testers have to be trusted...???