WILL RUSSIA GET KICKED OUT OF THE RIO OLYMPICS
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 19 Jul 2016
Against the background of a new report that reveals Russia systematically concealed positive drug tests since 2011, the chances of Russia being kicked out of the Rio Olympics looms large.
Gretel Kauffman of the Christian Science Monitor reported that the new report reveals that Russia has been systematically concealing positive drug tests since 2011 which confirms what the New York Times once referred to as ?one of the most elaborate ? and successful ? doping ploys in sports history.?
With less than three weeks to go before the start of the Summer Games, International Olympic Committee officials are set to decide on Wednesday whether they should allow Russian athletes to compete.
Investigator Richard McLaren in a 97 page report claims the Russians state-directed cheating program resulted in at least 312 positive results being withheld by Russia?s anti-doping laboratory which was under the direction of Russia?s deputy minister of sports.
The withheld positive results covered 28 sports including track and field, swimming, wrestling, snowboarding and even table tennis.
In what McLaren called the ?disappearing positive methodology? began in 2011 after Russia?s disappointing performance at the Vancouver Olympic Games and was carried out with the assistance of Russia?s national security service the FSB which is the main agency that succeeded the Soviet KGB.
McLaren failed to make any recommendations saying it was up to the International Olympic Committee and others to ?absorb and act upon? the contents of the report.
However, IOC president Thomas Bach said the committee would not hesitate to apply the toughest sanctions possible even as he branded the program ?a shocking and unprecedented attack on the integrity of sports and of the Olympics.?
With several golfers and some tennis stars and other athletes pulling out of the Games because of fears of the Zika virus and rising criminality in Brazil, the ambitious Olympic program is under jeopardy with some countries who have paid huge sums of money for the television broadcast rights, mulling asking for a rebate.
TV 5 in the Philippines will cover the games for a vast audience in the country with hopes of a medal, as usual, resting on the shoulders of boxing with two contestants ? light flyweight Rogen Ladon and lightweight Charly Suarez who are currently training in the US and are reported looking fit and ready.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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