Can someone /please/ explain ...

[cantunamunch]

How it is that Russians are under a Olympic and Worlds ban for doping practices ...but Kazakhstan isn't?

 

[scott43]

They only have athletes in the Goat Olympics..

 

[cantunamunch]

They only have athletes in the Goat Olympics..

Yeh, except they were stupid and chucked vetwaste into a public trash bin at the Sheep Worlds.

 

[scott43]

In all seriousness...Kazakhstan is an independent nation, whether that's a technicality or not. Someone internal to the Russian Athletic Federation ratted out the doping system that prevented positive tests during the Sochi Olympics. And it was ostensibly only Russian athletes that "benefited" from that. In reality, Kazakhstan is equally guilty I'm sure, as are probably most national Olympic programs. I have serious misgivings about the Astana cycling team..Alex Vinokourov was a client of Ferrari. And Astana is really a national cycling team. So yeah, they haven't been in the crosshairs of the IOC because the systemic nature of their crimes hasn't been made clear through first-hand testimony. I think there wasn't much the IOC could do..it was reported to the media, they had to do something. I thought it was rather gutless of them to ban the para team but not the regular team. That was just despicable to me. Just another reason to wish the next IOC meeting gets struck by lightning...

 

[cantunamunch]

In all seriousness...Kazakhstan is an independent nation, whether that's a technicality or not. Someone internal to the Russian Athletic Federation ratted out the doping system that prevented positive tests during the Sochi Olympics. And it was ostensibly only Russian athletes that "benefited" from that.

Yeah, if I was a Russian sports doc with a year to wait, where, oh where could I trivially go... need somewhere opaque to western news media...where language wouldn't be a problem...hmmm, puzzler.

I have serious misgivings about the Astana cycling team..Alex Vinokourov was a client of Ferrari. And Astana is really a national cycling team.

Undisputed.

So yeah, they haven't been in the crosshairs of the IOC because the systemic nature of their crimes hasn't been made clear through first-hand testimony.

And THAT is exactly my problem - the threshold for bans has not been adapted from what it was prior to that first hand testimony. I mean come on - someone shows you that what you've been doing to a point is inadequate and how - so the thing to do is wait for the next round of first hand testimony before adapting both surveillance and penalties?

I thought it was rather gutless of them to ban the para team but not the regular team. That was just despicable to me. Just another reason to wish the next IOC meeting gets struck by lightning...

Oh absolutely seconded.

 

[Eleeski]

Like with the VW scandal, it's not the real effect on results but the overt cheating that draws ire. Kazakhstan has successfully covered its tracks well enough. Russia got busted red handed. And the Russians do compete directly against Kazakhstan's athletes, not with them.

I'm not sure the para teams should even be subject to WADA rules. Already the playing field is not level. But I don't think that you can turn someone into a champion with drugs - there's so much more to making a top athlete. If you can help a disabled athlete improve their lives with drugs, good!

Eric

 

[scott43]

I just don't know how much impetus there is to change the system. I don't really know the dynamic behind the scenes. I can guess..it's all about money..and if you pay enough your drug tests are going away..and probably they're ok not exposing the underlying issues to keep the show going and pumping money. Spanish soccer is a good case in point..who wants to kill that golden goose by going after dopers?? LIke the Tour did?! It set cycling back years financially. Will it recover? I dunno. But the forces at play there managed to upset the apple cart for better or worse. I think the IOC and other sanctioning bodies are not interested in too much negative publicity. Better left hidden. There's a national crisis in Britain over the jiffy-bag of goods that Wiggins got. The only people who want questions answered are the politicians.

http://www.worldsoccer.com/news/world-doping-authority-alarmed-lack-testing-spains-la-liga-395234

 

[Lorenzzo]

Your question was addressed, in fact all of this was addressed exhaustively in the movie Borat.

 

[slowrider]

It's always about the money.

 

[oldschoolskier]

In the case of Olympics, it is about national pride and somewhat less about money. The money is to influence the results.

Seeing what goes on in swimming and fencing (both for the most part are not high money sports) the cheating occurs at all sorts of levels. The sad part is that atheletes are primarily victims as they are exploited by various groups for national pride. Some follow willing some are not told the whole truth.

Pride and money(power) the biggest down fall of almost anything.