Olympics: Russia possibly disqualified from Pyeongchang (UPD: IOC Suspends Team Russia)

[Rabid Ranger]

The truth is though. USA's PED sports culture is no better. It's an industry there.

There's no truth in that statement.

 

[Jussi]

I predict the Russian players in the NHL will make a statement

First, how? Second, why should we care? They wouldn't play there anyway.

Wh the hell would fasel NOT be against banning players? You think team "who?" vs. Team never was keeps him in mustache wax?

What the hell is your point?

 

[Xokkeu]

Americans aren't dumb enough to care if they get to wear USA on their jersey. They'd know the figure skater from Kansas was American.

Ok. I just wanted to make it clear that this is your opinion and there is no facts.

 

[Yakushev72]

Rene Fasel has also said that if the Russian federation allows that, they will risk getting banned from all international hockey.

That is an empty threat, but why would the Russians worry about it anyway? If Rene Fasel threatened Gary Bettman that Canada and the USA will be banned from international hockey because the NHL is boycotting the 2018 Olympics, and forcibly preventing players from playing if they want to? Why would Bettman care if Canada and the US were banned from international tournaments? That is a problem for Canada and the USA, not the NHL. By the same token, why would the KHL give a sh*t if the IIHF sanctioned them? International matches don't count in the KHL standings!

 

[sandysan]

What the hell is your point?

What the hell is your point?

That the assertion of "if fassel is against banning players" is akin to me saying " if. I got wet jumping in the lake" is so idiotic that no one in. Their mind would use it.

If you don't understand why, just ask.

 

[Marshy71]

Personally i find this whole situation disgraceful. Clean Russian athletes are allowed to participate under some other name - if they are clean, let them participate as the Russians that they are! Let them hear their anthem, this whole thing reeks of politics, which shouldn't be part of sports.

 

[cg98]

It is not about being clean in hockey. There is no doping that directly tilts the playing field in hockey, as in the individual strength (weight lifting, sprinting, jumps) and endurance (cross country skiing, distance running, cycling) sports, which is where 99% of the doping takes place.

Wth are you even going on about? I never stated anything saying that doping in hockey tilts the playing field, I was answering the other guys question in simply stating that Russian athletes, including Russian hockey players, who go through vigorous testing by the IOC and are deemed “clean” can play under the Olympic neutral flag. Quit throwing a hissy fit for no reason.

 

[mouser]

No American would go if situation was reversed

There would be a full U.S Olympic squad in every sport if the situation was reversed. You under appreciate how many athletes just below the most elite tier in the U.S. would do anything for a chance to compete in the Olympics.

If the IOC were to hypothetically punish the U.S. in the same way it is doing to Russia there would be no way the U.S. Olympic Committee or government could block American athletes from competing under a neutral flag.

 

[Yakushev72]

Wth are you even going on about? I never stated anything saying that doping in hockey tilts the playing field, I was answering the other guys question in simply stating that Russian athletes, including Russian hockey players, who go through vigorous testing by the IOC and are deemed “clean” can play under the Olympic neutral flag. Quit throwing a hissy fit for no reason.

Didn't see your previous post. My apologies!

 

[93LEAFS]

Sucks for clean Russian athletes, but people saying the IOC should punish people "in-charge in Russia" really aren't paying attention. This was state-sponsored doping, that appears to have gone to the very top of the country as a vanity project (propaganda). How the hell are they going to punish someone like Putin without taking away what he prides and his incentive to cheat? The IOC can't arrest Putin and his cronies (and really we don't want them to), and this is the best course of action to punish the people in charge of this.

 

[Jussi]

That the assertion of "if fassel is against banning players" is akin to me saying " if. I got wet jumping in the lake" is so idiotic that no one in. Their mind would use it.

If you don't understand why, just ask.

I'm not sure you have followed the proceedings. BobbyMac tweeted last week that Fasel told him Russia would face consequences if KHL were to block players from other countries participating in the Olympics" Boris Mihailov said Russia could be thrown out of international hockey altogether and said KHL blocking player would backfire on them. In case you didn't know, KHL operates under the Russian federation and therefore must follow IIHF regulations/rules/whatever. All federations are required to release player for international duty.

 

[UAGoalieGuy]

Is another team going to be added to balance out the divisions with Russia not participating?

 

[Jussi]

That is an empty threat, but why would the Russians worry about it anyway? If Rene Fasel threatened Gary Bettman that Canada and the USA will be banned from international hockey because the NHL is boycotting the 2018 Olympics, and forcibly preventing players from playing if they want to? Why would Bettman care if Canada and the US were banned from international tournaments? That is a problem for Canada and the USA, not the NHL. By the same token, why would the KHL give a sh*t if the IIHF sanctioned them? International matches don't count in the KHL standings!

Fasel would never do that because he knows neither USA Hockey nor Hockey Canada have any influence on the NHL, unlike Russian federation has over the KHL. Different structure.

 

[Jussi]

Personally i find this whole situation disgraceful. Clean Russian athletes are allowed to participate under some other name - if they are clean, let them participate as the Russians that they are! Let them hear their anthem, this whole thing reeks of politics, which shouldn't be part of sports.

Perhaps Russia shouldn't have tried to politicize Sochi Olympics by going all in with state run doping program to try and give an image of country winning all the those medals by any means necessary... Wouldn't have screwed all those clean athletes who didn't need all this crap to tarnish their reputation.

 

[Insomniac99]

Personally i find this whole situation disgraceful. Clean Russian athletes are allowed to participate under some other name - if they are clean, let them participate as the Russians that they are! Let them hear their anthem, this whole thing reeks of politics, which shouldn't be part of sports.

This wasn't a few players cheating. This was state sponsored doping from Putin and the FSB down to corrupt WADA officials. They had the sample building built specially to facilitate their cheating.

You don't reward that.

 

[BayStreetBully]

Perhaps Russia shouldn't have tried to politicize Sochi Olympics by going all in with state run doping program to try and give an image of country winning all the those medals by any means necessary... Wouldn't have screwed all those clean athletes who didn't need all this crap to tarnish their reputation.

The Olympics should never have gone to Sochi in the first place. They only beat Pyeongchang for 2014 by 4 votes (51-47), and I’d have to believe there was some funny business involved between Putin/Russia/IOC. What resulted was a $50 billion price tag to stage a Winter Olympics, when it doesn’t even cost $10 billion to stage a Winter Olympics. Vancouver 2010 cost $7 billion, and Turin 2006 cost $3 billion. We know where that $50 billion went.

Had the IOC gone to Pyeongchang in 2014 and Munich in 2018, all of what happened today could have been avoided because Putin would never have had a reason to cheat in 2014.

 

[hockeyluv]

What amazes me is in 2017, a time in human history with the freest flow of information. The Internet, alternative media, social media, independent journalists people still just swallow the fake news media without even thinking to question it.

Try reading something other than Rambler, Sovetskiy Sport and the like. The government controlled media in Russia is nauseating to read. Follow your own advice as in read alternative sources. Anyone who had anyone connected to sport in Russia knows how its all controlled by the state and how deep it runs. My parents were both professional athletes in USSR back in 70-80s and both of them stopped me from being a professional athlete based on what they had to go through. Unfortunately, none if it has changed, if anything its become worse and the system of masking doping now is more sophisticated.

 

[hockeyluv]

McLaren himself claims that the only source he has is Rodchenkov, a guy known for mental health problem

Because Russian government told us so? Its not like they wanted a scapegoat or anything and wanted to cover their behinds? The scale is so big its virtually impossible for one person to orchestrate it all, especially a mental one. )

 

[hockeyluv]

I can't see Putin allowing Russian athletes to compete. Russians will boy cott.

I read somewhere today that boycott can have a consequence of being banned from the Games for further 8 years. If that's true, that s a lot to consider for Russians and the future of Russian sport. Would they dare to do that to their athletes? I hope Putin and the Co are not that dumb

 

[IslesNorway]

That is an empty threat, but why would the Russians worry about it anyway? If Rene Fasel threatened Gary Bettman that Canada and the USA will be banned from international hockey because the NHL is boycotting the 2018 Olympics, and forcibly preventing players from playing if they want to? Why would Bettman care if Canada and the US were banned from international tournaments? That is a problem for Canada and the USA, not the NHL. By the same token, why would the KHL give a sh*t if the IIHF sanctioned them? International matches don't count in the KHL standings!

In Russia as in all of Europe the World Cup and the Olympics are much bigger than in North America. It is the focal point of the nation and media attention is huge. Most players grow up want to win that, not the KHL or Championships. Resigning or boycotting would rob Russian players o their lifelong dreams. The KHL will care a lot about that

 

[Fantomas]

Rodchenkov's alleged mental illness is irrelevant. What's relevant is the fact that this expert witness is the only one to provide any substantial testimony to the IOC, that his story is being accepted uncritically and without any opportunity for Russia to redirect or to provide its own witnesses and expertise. In fact, this is how things are done in all civilized trials. But this matter is too much of a sham to let such due process happen.

 

[JoeCool16]

Is another team going to be added to balance out the divisions with Russia not participating?

Team North America 23 and unders, come on down!

 

[VVP]

Olympics are dead. It is a private enterprise of some Western elites and they have no intention of letting Russia win in it.

 

[Zine]

Rodchenkov's alleged mental illness is irrelevant. What's relevant is the fact that this expert witness is the only one to provide any substantial testimony to the IOC, that his story is being accepted uncritically and without any opportunity for Russia to redirect or to provide its own witnesses and expertise. In fact, this is how things are done in all civilized trials. But this matter is too much of a sham to let such due process happen.

Olympics are dead. It is a private enterprise of some Western elites and they have no intention of letting Russia win in it.

Well said. The IOC’s handling of this entire matter amounts to nothing more than a political shakedown.

 

[Tomas W]

Will Russia ever, ever learn. I have my doubts when reading some Russian comments.

Feel bad for Russian athletes though, mainly not there fault all this, still they are the once that pay the price, when it really should be Putin.