Russia state-sponsored doping at Sochi Winter Olympics - report

[davieG]

Russia operated a state-sponsored doping programme at the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014, claims a new report.

An investigation commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency says Russia's sports ministry "directed, controlled and oversaw" the manipulation of urine samples provided by its athletes.

The commission looked into allegations made by the former head of Russia's national anti-doping laboratory.

Grigory Rodchenkov claimed he doped dozens of athletes before the Games.

The commission was led by Dr Richard McLaren, a Canadian law professor and sports lawyer who said he had "unwavering confidence" in his findings.

Rodchenkov also alleged he had been helped by the Russian secret service.

He claimed they had worked out how to open and reseal the supposedly tamper-proof bottles that were used for storing urine samples so the contents could be replaced with "clean" urine.

To prove this allegation, McLaren sent a random amount of samples from "protected Russian athletes" at Sochi 2014 stored by the anti-doping laboratory in Lausanne to another in London to see if they had scratch marks around the necks of the bottles that would indicate they had been manipulated.

McLaren said "100% of the bottles had been scratched" but added that this would "not have been visible to the untrained eye".

The damning report will fuel calls for a complete ban on Russia from the 2016 Summer Olympics, which start in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil on 5 August.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/36823453

[MPH]

oops!

[boots60]

Cheats. Everyone from Putin to the psycopathic thugs & everyone in between are corrupt & not trustworthy of holding a raffle let alone a world tournament.

Ban em from Rio

Ban em from holding the world cup

Musa got the feck out sharpish.

[Thracian]

What a dark and immovable stain to spread all over the Winter Olympics. There is prestige to competing in the Games whatever the outcome - look at Eddie The Eagle - but there is no glory in walking away with anything you don't deserve.

 

Punishment? I'd have a black line on the image of every Rio Winter Olympics flag to remind the world that the games had been soiled by the calculated cheating. As for a banning. As long as you like, who cares ...and perhaps even a boycott of any Russian-promoted snow sports as well cos I'd not want to compete there.

 

Why would a nation set such a bad example? 

 

Does their integrity matter for nothing?

 

I've long argued that Russia needs to be brought in from the cold. But Big Nation status?

 

They may have a weapons arsenal to push most anyone around. But this leaves them as "nothing" in the sporting world.

Not even the status of the smallest or militarily weakest competitor who can hold their head up and say "we lost but we played by the rules and did our best."

 

A game loser is welcome at any closing ceremony. Cheats will stay shunned for years.       

[Mike Oxlong]

The Russian team at the Euros was so shit they must've taken the wrong drugs.

[foxy boxing]

it is clear they have had systematic doping across a number of sports for some time and should be banned from all sports and hosting sporting events