Vladimir Putin is not thrilled with the International Association of Athletics Federations. On Friday the IAAF upheld its ruling that Russia’s entire track and field team will be banned from competing in the 2016 Summer Olympics because of a state-sponsored doping program. The IAAF also claims Russian officials knew about and covered up the doping and in some cases assisted it.
Putin was not pleased.
The 63-year-old Russian president ripped the ruling, calling it unfair and specifically aiming at the IAAF’s “collective ruling” that included all track athletes, not just those caught doping. Putin likened the punishment to sending an entire family to prison for a crime committed by one relative.
Russian track athletes have been formally banned from international competition a November report by the World Anti-Doping Agency concluded the country was running a state-sponsored doping program in track and field.
The WADA released a statement supporting the IAAF’s ruling after it was made public. WADA is in the middle of a full investigation of Russia’s entire athletic program, not just track and field. The organization’s president, Craig Reedie, believes results from that investigation should be available soon.
Russia’s ministry of sport issued the following statement condemning the IAAF’s ruling:
Please see a statement from the Russian Ministry of Sport regarding the IAAF decision. https://t.co/Mbtm5LayKY—
Natalia Zhelanova (@Zhelanova) June 17, 2016
Track and field has long been infected with the doping virus. At one time it was hard to find any truly “clean” athletes in the sport. Banning Russia’s track team won’t solve track’s issues, but it will send a clear message to other countries that they must clean up their acts.
Maybe this will have a long-term impact on the sport, maybe it won’t, but Russia’s blatant violation of international doping rules absolutely earned the country’s track team this ban.
from The Big Lead http://ift.tt/1PyYRHi
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