Why and under what conditions was Russia allowed to the Olympics in Rio

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Starting from yesterday, news about the already seemingly humiliated and insulted Russian Olympic sport began to arrive. And they are even sadder.

After the removal of the Russian team from the Winter Olympics in South Korea and allowing our athletes to go to Pyeongchang only as "neutrals", the IOC commission for the admission of the Russian team handed over to the Russian sports federations a list of 111 names of athletes who are prohibited from participating in the Games in any capacity.

The logo that the IOC encouraged Russian athletes to wear on their neutral uniforms.

The list includes medalists and winners of the Sochi Olympics: six-time Olympic champion in short track Viktor An, Olympic champion in biathlon Anton Shipulin and two-time world champion in skiing Sergei Ustyugov. Many of the "banned" Russians were contenders for the "gold" of the Winter Olympics-2018. Also, leading Russian hockey players, figure skaters Ksenia Stolbova and Ivan Bukin, were not allowed to compete. And these two are from different couples.

An important detail: many of the ineligible athletes never appeared in official doping investigations and lists of suspects. There is a version that they can be. Or simply participated in the "dirty" Olympics in Sochi. In any case, the IOC now, after making a decision to exclude Russia as a country from the Olympic Games in Korea, can remove (more precisely, not invite) any Russian athlete without publicly explaining anything.

Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov noted that the absence of short track skater Viktor An, biathlete Anton Shipulin and skier Sergei Ustyugov in the list of participants in the 2018 Olympic Games. He also expressed hope that the situation will clear up.

According to the statements of Russian sports functionaries, there is still hope that it will be possible to compete for the participation of some suspended athletes, but there is little hope. Yesterday in Moscow there was a meeting of representatives of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) with the admission commission. Following its results, the first vice-president of the ROC, Stanislav Pozdnyakov, made the following statement:

Publication from Russian Olympic Committee 🇬🇧(@olympic_russia)

Jan 23, 2018 at 1:22 AM PST

In Russian social networks, punishments and humiliations of Russian sports were perceived very painfully. Once again, the majority are calling on the authorities to boycott the Games, and although it is clear that the Kremlin will not agree to it, people who usually support the authorities, in this case, literally tear and toss.

A generalizing and traditional point of view on what is happening was expressed by the commentator of the Match TV channel Dmitry Guberniev. Spoiler: this is a war against Russia...

The first one was expressed more succinctly. Russian history Olympic champion in women's singles Adelina Sotnikova.

But the words of Dmitry and Adelina are a light breeze compared to the tsunami of indignation of ordinary fans. Moreover, the general tone can be expressed by the phrase "they themselves are to blame." But the meaning of this phrase depends on the position of the commentator. Some believe that they are to blame for agreeing to go to Korea under a neutral flag. Others that at first systematically stuffed athletes with doping, and then did nothing to protect even "clean" athletes.

The International Olympic Committee has published the criteria by which it allows certain Russian athletes to go to the Olympics. There are 17 items in total.

Photo: Fabrizio Bensch / Reuters

As noted in the IOC message received by RBC, the special commission that deals with issuing permits for the participation of Russians in the Olympics in South Korea decided that the time had come to explain what sources of information it used and what criteria it relied on. This happened two days after skier Sergei Ustyugov and biathlete Anton Shipulin were not allowed to the Games in Pyeongchang without explanation.

According to the head of the commission, Valerie Furneuron, the list in question is based on a large amount of information. “It is extensive but not exhaustive, I would like to point out that we have also covered a large number of intelligence and information from other sources,” Furneuron said. “All our decisions are made by consensus, and the case of each athlete is considered individually.”

In total, the commission relied on 17 sources of information. First of all, the reports of the Denis Oswald Commission are mentioned, as well as the “Duchess list” by Richard McLaren (we are talking about athletes who took the “Duchess cocktail”). The commission also turned to the history of anti-doping rule violations and found out whether Russian athletes had previously been disqualified for such violations.

Another source of information for the commission was the data of the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory of Grigory Rodchenkov. In October 2017, WADA gained access to laboratory data, namely the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). We are talking about data recorded from 2012 to 2015. The LIMS analysis of the Moscow laboratory "allowed WADA to determine which samples, despite containing prohibited substances or abnormal concentrations, were flagged as 'negative' or not entered into the ADAMS system" (WADA's anti-doping administration system).

From the data of the Richard McLaren investigation, the commission used, in particular, e-mails that describe the process of sample substitution. Using this data, the commission studied which urine samples were allegedly opened by the FSB (contained scratches) during the Sochi Olympics. The commission also re-analyzed the samples, some of which showed salt concentrations that are physiologically impossible for human urine.

The commission also used McLaren's data on Russian athletes who were tested for the Urine Bank so that the Moscow laboratory could then replace samples of other athletes with them. Inconsistencies in DNA analyzes and the biological passport were also taken into account. The commission checked 500 biological passports of Russian athletes, which were provided by the Russian Olympic Committee.

"Very suspicious steroid profiles were found in the samples, which were considered in the context of gender and sports", the information was obtained from the LIMS Moscow laboratory. Discrepancies in the data on steroid profiles recorded in LIMS and ADAMS, the commission considered evidence of manipulation in the Moscow laboratory.

WADA data was also used, namely, all available samples of Russian athletes. First of all, 500 Russian athletes included in the application for the Olympics by the Russian committee were checked through the ADAMS system. As the latest sources of information, the commission mentions the "intelligence data" of the National Olympic Committees and WADA sources.

After the decision taken at the Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to suspend the activities of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), Russian athletes will be able to compete at the upcoming winter Olympic Games in South Korean Pyeongchang only in case of receiving a special invitation from the IOC.

Invitation of individual Russian athletes to the Games in Pyeongchang for participation in both individual and team competitions will occur if the athletes comply with certain principles. Chief among the criteria is that athletes must have qualified for the Olympic Games and must not have had a history of disqualification or ineligibility for any anti-doping rule violations.

The decision on the performance of certain athletes will be made by the IOC on the basis of a list compiled by a special commission headed by the chairman of the Independent Doping Testing Organization (ITA) Valerie Furneuron. The commission will include members of the pre-testing working group - one from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), one from the DFSU (Doping Free Sport Unit) anti-doping unit and one from the IOC (Dr Richard Badgett).

TASS studied the history of performances of leading Russian athletes, determining which of them will be able to receive an invitation from the IOC and perform at the 2018 Olympics. We add that the IOC has not yet officially developed a regulation for the admission of athletes from Russia to the Games, and new criteria may appear in it.

HOCKEY (men's and women's teams)

Permission to perform at the Games for Russian team sports, even under the Olympic flag, is an undoubted success - there was a likely option in which the Russians would not have been able to perform in team performances, including hockey. At the same time, we must not forget that the last Olympic gold in domestic hockey was won at the 1992 Games in Albertville, France, where, after the collapse of the USSR, the United Team headed by Viktor Tikhonov performed under the Olympic flag.

There were cases of suspension of players of the Continental Hockey League for violations of anti-doping rules, and players of the national team also came across the use of prohibited drugs. In particular, defenders Anton Belov and Sergey Gusev, forwards Danis Zaripov, Maxim Rybin and Sergey Zinoviev, who in different years played for the national team and even won world championship medals (Belov, Zaripov and Zinoviev - gold) were subjected to disqualifications.

In the case of hockey, the situation with the criterion for the Olympic qualification of athletes is unclear. The men's and women's teams of Russia were selected for the Games, and the choice of the composition of the teams is the prerogative of the coaches, they have the right to include any hockey players from among those with Russian sports citizenship in the team. If we take the participants of the upcoming First Channel Cup and members of the Olympic team, which will soon play in the tournament in Norway, as candidates for the Russian men's team at the Games in Pyeongchang, then Anton Belov is on this list of five dozen names.

In 2012, he was suspended for three months - methylhexanamine was found in his doping test. Belov managed to prove that the prohibited drug got into his body when taking an uncertified drug. sports nutrition while playing for Omsk Avangard. The KHL Anti-Doping Committee imposed a minimum punishment on Belov, but now the SKA defender and the 2014 world champion may be closed to Pyeongchang.

At the end of November, forward Danis Zaripov served a six-month suspension. Two drugs were found in his body at once - pseudoephedrine and hydrochlorothiazide. And although Zaripov managed to prove that he was the victim of a mistake, the three-time world champion will also not be allowed to the Olympics. In any case, the 36-year-old Zaripov has not played for the Russian national team since the winter of 2016, and this season, having signed a contract with Ak Bars, he has not yet entered the ice.

On Monday in Lausanne, hearings of the IOC disciplinary commission were held, which considered the cases of seven hockey players of the Russian national team who participated in the Olympic Games in Sochi - Inna Dubanok, Ekaterina Lebedeva, Ekaterina Smolentseva, Ekaterina Pashkevich, Anna Shibanova, Anna Shokhina and Galina Skiba. Their doping tests were rechecked following the results of the work of the IOC commission led by Denis Oswald - hockey players are accused of violating anti-doping rules.

The Russian national team, which took part in the tournament in Dmitrov near Moscow in November, included Dubanok, Skiba, Shibanova and Shokhina, who will not receive invitations from the IOC to the Olympics. Pashkevich has already retired, 36-year-old Smolentseva and 28-year-old Lebedeva were not involved in the national team this season.

BIATHLON

Many Russian biathletes have been found guilty of anti-doping rule violations and disqualified in the last decade, and most of them are no longer part of the Russian team. The main hopes for the Games in Pyeongchang are placed primarily on the men's team. Despite serious allegations against Russia for manipulating doping samples at the 2014 Games in Sochi, the winners of the men's relay race four years ago, Alexei Volkov, Evgeny Ustyugov, Dmitry Malyshko and Anton Shipulin, have not yet received any claims from the IOC disciplinary authorities.

Anton Shipulin remains the leader of the Russian national team, and the 30-year-old biathlete should receive an invitation from the IOC - his name has not previously been implicated in doping scandals. Should speak at the Games and his current teammates - Anton Babikov, Alexei Volkov, Evgeny Garanichev, Matvey Eliseev and Maxim Tsvetkov.

But Alexander Loginov will not receive an invitation to the Games in Pyeongchang. In the 2013/14 season, the athlete was disqualified for using erythropoietin for two years, returning to the ski track a year ago. This season, Loginov performed at the opening stage of the World Cup in Östersund, Sweden, showing the ninth result in the individual race, 27th in the sprint and 35th in the pursuit.

In the women's team, Irina Starykh will not receive an invitation from the IOC - in 2014 she was disqualified for doping for three years, returning to duty last season. 30-year-old Starykh showed almost the best performance in the team on the track, where most Russian biathletes are far behind the world leaders. At the same time, Starykh missed the starting stage of the World Cup this season, preparing separately from the team, but was included in the application for the second stage, which will be held on December 8–10 in Hochfilzen, Austria.

Olga Podchufarova, Ekaterina Yurlova, Tatyana Akimova, Victoria Slivko, Svetlana Mironova, to whom the IOC should have no complaints, should also perform there.

Olga Zaitseva, Olga Vilukhina and Yana Romanova, who were banned for life for anti-doping rule violations from participation in the Olympic Games and deprived of awards from Sochi, have already completed their careers.

SKIING

A strong blow to Russian skiing was inflicted in November by the IOC disciplinary commission, which suspended a whole group of Russian athletes led by Alexander Legkov and Maxim Vylegzhanin from the Olympic competitions. In addition to them, Evgeny Belov, Alexei Petukhov, Yulia Ivanova and Evgenia Shapovalova were deprived of the right to speak in Pyeongchang, later this list was supplemented by Yulia Chekaleva and Anastasia Dotsenko.

The main star of Russian skiing last season was Sergei Ustyugov, who won five medals at the World Championships in Lahti, two of them gold. There were no claims from the IOC disciplinary bodies against him - as well as against Nikita Kryukov, who won the sprint at the 2010 Games in Vancouver, and excelled with Ustyugov in the team sprint at the world championship in Lahti.

At the start of this season, 20-year-old Alexander Bolshunov, who has already been among the winners at the World Cup, is also successfully performing. Bolshunov was also not seen in doping scandals before, as was 22-year-old Yulia Belorukova, who became the bronze medalist in the sprint at the cup stage in the Finnish Hand.

FIGURE SKATING

Cases of doping in figure skating are rare, and it is unlikely that any of the members of the Russian team will be denied participation in the Olympic Games. Therefore, Russian figure skating stars led by Evgenia Medvedeva, if they agree to a neutral status, fans in Pyeongchang will surely see.

Although the IOC may have questions to Ekaterina Bobrova, the champion of the Games in Sochi in the team tournament. Bobrova, performing in ice dancing in a duet with Dmitry Solovyov, was convicted of using meldonium last year, but in the end, like most athletes whose doping tests showed the minimum concentration of this substance banned since 2016, she was justified.

So far, the IOC has not commented on whether being on the "meldonium list" constitutes an anti-doping rule violation, which would result in the denial of an invitation to the 2018 Games. This season, Bobrova and Solovyov were twice among the winners of the Grand Prix series stages, showing the best result among Russian duets, but it was not enough to reach the finals starting on Thursday in Nagoya, Japan.

Sochi Olympic champion in women's skating Adelina Sotnikova is currently the only athlete to be acquitted by Denis Oswald's commission investigating Russia's anti-doping violations at the 2014 Games. Sotnikova, as the commission considered, did not participate in the Russian "doping program", but in any case, the 21-year-old athlete, who has been performing under the leadership of Evgeni Plushenko since the new season, did not claim to compete in Pyeongchang, recovering from an injury.

SKATING

With a high degree of probability, two of the strongest Russian skaters, Pavel Kulizhnikov and Denis Yuskov, will not be able to compete at the Games in Pyeongchang. A multiple world sprint champion and holder of several world records, Kulizhnikov was suspended for two years in 2012 for using methylhexanamine. In addition, last year Kulizhnikov became one of the defendants in the Meldonium case and missed the end of the 2015/16 season.

With Denis Yuskov, the situation is much more complicated, and his fate will largely depend on whether the IOC will delve into the rather intricate details of his case. In 2008, marijuana was allegedly found in a doping test of 18-year-old Yuskov, and subsequently several of his youth team partners wrote statements accusing Denis of also distributing this soft drug. Yuskov's disqualification was four years, but soon the new leadership of the Russian Skating Union, headed by Alexei Kravtsov, initiated a review of the Yuskov case.

It turned out that the partners slandered Denis Yuskov, and the case was fabricated. The disqualification was canceled, the athlete was rehabilitated - including by the International Skating Union. In 2012, Yuskov began to compete in international competitions, winning three world championships at the crown distance of 1500 m. At the same time, Yuskov remained without medals at the Sochi Games and did not appear on the so-called “McLaren list”. If the IOC considers that the lifted ban is not an anti-doping rule violation, then Yuskov will receive an invitation to the Pyeongchang Games.

Alexander Rumyantsev and Olga Fatkulina, who were suspended for life by the IOC from the Olympics following an investigation by the Oswald Commission, will not perform at the Games. Rumyantsev specialized in stayer distances, several times he was among the winners at the World Cup. Whereas Fatkulina is the 2013 world champion, one of the leaders of the Russian national team in short and medium distances. At the Sochi Games, she won silver in the 500m, but was stripped of this award. Fatkulina turns 28 in January and would have been the leader of the Russian women's skating team.

SHORT TRACK

The leader of the Russian national team Viktor Ahn has already announced that he will go to the Olympics in Pyeongchang as a “neutral athlete”. The Olympics will be held in the homeland of Ana, who until 2011 played for the South Korean national team, in 2006 becoming a three-time Olympic champion.

At the Games in Sochi, already as part of the Russian team, Viktor Ahn won gold in the 500 and 1000 m distances, as well as in the relay. Together with An, the relay team included Semen Elistratov, Vladimir Grigoriev and Ruslan Zakharov. Yelistratov was convicted of using meldonium in March 2016, but then the suspension was lifted, although theoretically this could be the reason for the refusal of an invitation to the 2018 Games.

SLUGING, BOBSLEY, SKELETON

The leaders of the Russian team and contenders for Olympic medals in luge are, first of all, last season's World Cup winner Roman Repilov and the 2015 world champion Semyon Pavlichenko, who has already won the cup stage in Innsbruck, Austria this season. They should not have problems with admission to the Olympics - as well as the Olympic medalist in Sochi in the team relay Tatyana Ivanova.

By the decision of the IOC disciplinary commission, Alexander Kasyanov and overclockers Alexei Pushkarev and Ilvir Khuzin were suspended from participation in the Olympics. Kasyanov's crew was the leader of the Russian team, having won the four-man competition at the cup stage in Whistler, Canada. In the absence of Kasyanov, Russian bobsledders are unlikely to be able to claim Olympic medals.

Earlier, the IOC found skeletonists Alexander Tretyakov, Elena Nikitina, Olga Potylitsyna, Maria Orlova guilty of violating anti-doping rules. In the absence of leaders in Pyeongchang, in the skeleton, one should rely only on Nikita Tregubov, who should receive admission to the Games. The 22-year-old athlete recently became second in the cup stage in Whistler.

CURLING

At the Games in Pyeongchang, the women's and mixed teams of Russia should perform, while the men's team these days is fighting for the Olympic license in the qualifying tournament in the Czech Republic. As in the case of hockey, the criteria for determining candidates for the Olympic teams are not completely clear yet, but the doping services had no complaints against the Russian curling masters.

SKI AND SNOWBOARD

In these sports, the Russian team has contenders for awards in Pyeongchang, while they should not have problems with a “doping past”. This applies to skier Alexander Khoroshilov, and snowboard masters of the spouses Victor Wild and Alena Zavarzina. Wild and Zavarzina, despite success at the Sochi Games, where Vic became the champion in the parallel and parallel giant slalom, and Alena became the bronze medalist in the parallel giant slalom, did not appear on the infamous "McLaren list".

In general, if the regulations for the admission of Russian athletes to the Olympics are not tightened in the coming days, almost all Russian contenders for medals remaining in the ranks should go to Pyeongchang. The bulk of the athletes have already been suspended from the Games - by the decision of the IOC disciplinary commission following the results of the work of Denis Oswald's commission.

Of Russia's initial application for the Olympics, which included 500 people, 111 athletes were not allowed to the Games by the IOC.

It is noted that most of the selected athletes did not participate in the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014.

This means that a new generation of Russian athletes has appeared," he said.

said in a message cited by RBC.

51 coaches and 10 medical workers are not allowed to the Games. The press release says that the list of those who passed the first filter does not contain a single Oswald punished by the disciplinary commission, as well as Russian athletes with a doping history. The requirements for the athletes remaining in the pool are further testing before the Olympics and rechecking doping samples. Only in this case, the IOC can consider inviting athletes to Pyeongchang. The final list of those who will be able to compete under the IOC flag will be made public on 27 January.

As noted by the IOC, athletes who have received approval to participate in the Olympics will, as usual, take standard doping tests.

The International Olympic Committee noted that as the qualification for the Games continues, it is impossible to say exactly how many people will become members of the United Athletes of Russia team.

However, they will definitely not include several athletes with a doping history:

1. Pavel Kulizhnikov (skates)

2. Denis Yuskov (skates)

3. Alexander Loginov (biathlon)

4. Irina Starykh (biathlon)

5. Tatyana Borodulina (short track)

6. Dmitry Vasiliev (ski jumping)

7. Evgeny Dementiev (skiing)

And also "Oswald's victims":

8. Alexander Legkov (skiing)

9. Evgeny Belov (skiing)

10. Maxim Vylegzhanin (skiing)

11. Alexey Petukhov (skiing)

12. Evgenia Shapovalova (skiing)

13. Nikita Kryukov (skiing)

14. Alexander Bessmertnykh (skiing)

15. Yulia Chekaleva (skiing)

16. Anastasia Dotsenko (skiing)

17. Natalia Matveeva (skiing)

18. Olga Fatkulina (skates)

19. Alexander Rumyantsev (skates)

20. Artem Kuznetsov (skates)

21. Alexander Tretyakov (skeleton)

22. Elena Nikitina (skeleton)

23. Maria Orlova (skeleton)

24. Olga Potylitsyna (skeleton)

25. Alexander Kasyanov (bobsleigh)

26. Ilvir Khuzin (bobsleigh)

27. Alexey Pushkarev (bobsleigh)

28. Maxim Belugin (bobsleigh)

29. Inna Dubanok (hockey)

30. Ekaterina Lebedeva (ice hockey)

31. Anna Shibanova (ice hockey)

32. Galina Skiba (ice hockey)

33. Anna Schukina (ice hockey)

34. Tatyana Ivanova (sledge)

After studying the "black list", published back in April 2017 and finalized in December, the names of six more athletes remain, who are also suspended from the Games.

If we assume that 51 coaches + 10 physiotherapists + 7 athletes with a doping history + 27 Sochi residents from among Oswald's victims who did not complete their careers became persona non grata, then we get 95 "refuseniks" - very close to the desired figure.

Theoretically, this number could include the athletes mentioned in the McLaren report, but not yet heard by the Oswald commission, writes Sport Express. Although the Canadian professor himself said that he included everyone in his work, not trying to find out whether the person was guilty or not. Before the Rio Games, most of the Russians mentioned in this way easily achieved rehabilitation through CAS.

The almost three-day-long hearing on appeals by 47 Russian athletes is finally over, and a disappointing verdict has been handed down. CAS did not satisfy any of the appeals, which means , and other Russian sports stars will be allowed to pass without any evidence of guilt in violating anti-doping rules. But these are the proposed rules of the game, which our side accepted on December 5.

No matter how sad it is to talk about it, but the decision of the arbitration court was absolutely predictable. We wrote about this more than once, although we left a meager hope for success. The first disappointing sign was the refusal to satisfy the claim of athletes with a doping history. This fact made it clear that the previous precedents when the court overturned the decision of the IOC, guided by the inadmissibility of double punishment, would not apply to Russian athletes.

The collapse of the last hope. No one else will be allowed into Korea

The IOC has the right to refuse an invitation to anyone, even bald, even red, and the Russians need to come to terms with this and calm down.

Your expectations are your problems

A small ray of hope was yesterday's stuffing from the British portal Inside the Games that the claim of the Russians will be partially satisfied. This information gave hope that the CAS would consider each case on the merits and grant appeals in cases where the IOC denied an athlete for a spurious reason. But that did not happen. Of course, the colossal pressure on the court, which was undertaken by the highest officials of the IOC and WADA, as well as athletes and journalists from "partner" countries, also affected, but I would warn against hysteria and screams that even CAS caved in to the Anglo-Saxons.

In all its decisions, the Court of Arbitration for Sport follows the letter of the law. The IOC disqualified Russian athletes without a proper evidence base - and this decision was canceled. But in this case, the actions Thomas Bach and his sponsors were absolutely justified. Russia itself adopted these rules of the game on December 5, when it did not challenge the ROC's disqualification and agreed that the IOC would exercise the invitations of athletes at its discretion. Did our sports leaders expect that everything would be in ointment and everyone would be allowed? That a sword does not cut a guilty head? Well, "your expectations are your problems."

Weapons of mass destruction. Doesn't kill, doesn't make stronger. stupidly scoffs

As soon as the ski president Kasper ran into the Olympic president Bach, they immediately found a mountain of doping in the skis. Will it be like this for everyone now?

supreme grace

The admission criteria were formulated so vaguely that athletes could be excluded based on any evidence or suspicious fact, whether it was the presence on one of the many lists of Rodchenkov, who, like a fakir, takes them out of his sleeve every month, or the accusation of an anonymous informant who wants to eliminate a competitor . As I already wrote, they would have wanted to - they didn’t allow even bald, even redheads.

The IOC had the full right to these actions because the admission of Russian athletes was carried out not according to the usual, but according to special rules, as an exception, so there can be no talk of any discrimination. They could not give invitations to anyone, but they did a great honor to 169 athletes at once. It remains for us to come to terms with this and support those on whom the highest grace nevertheless descended and who were allowed to this most scandalous Olympics in the history of sports.

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