General : Russian doping: Officials admit to existence of doping programme

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/38448842

Russian officials have for the first time admitted the existence of a doping operation which affected some of the world's major competitions.

Ok but this was what caught my attention.

Smirnov also suggested the leaks made by the Fancy Bears - a group of hackers who have released the medical records of several athletes from around the world - showed Russia had not been competing on a level playing field.

Really? That's the excuse? That's the reason? The rest of the world was doping so Russia had to do the same?

[adzii_nufc]

In their defence, it's likely the truth, we're in an age of sport where we don't know what records, achievements and so forth are even legitimate anymore.

They're aggrieved that they're the only big nation that's been called out on it.

[Mr K]

Originally Posted by adzii_nufc

In their defence, it's likely the truth, we're in an age of sport where we don't know what records, achievements and so forth are even legitimate anymore.

They're aggrieved that they're the only big nation that's been called out on it.

They are a bit different to other nations where its been rogue coaches/individuals. There's has been the organised, state sponsored, intrinsic norm. This latest admission is only a tactic so they can start competing again as they've exhausted other avenues.

If we and the rest of the world had any bottle we'd boycott the next football world cup, which the Russians 'bought' from crooked FIFA.

Having said that I'm not convinced by the cycling set up in this country. Cleaner than clean ? maybe.

[adzii_nufc]

Originally Posted by Mr K

They are a bit different to other nations where its been rogue coaches/individuals. There's has been the organised, state sponsored, intrinsic norm. This latest admission is only a tactic so they can start competing again as they've exhausted other avenues.

If we and the rest of the world had any bottle we'd boycott the next football world cup, which the Russians 'bought' from crooked FIFA.

Having said that I'm not convinced by the cycling set up in this country. Cleaner than clean ? maybe.

It's pretty astonishing we're going ahead with a World Cup that stunk of corruption and is being hosted in a country well noted for it's football hooliganism and rampant racism among other things such as it's quite large homophobic population.

But I agree, Russia are likely the largest in the state sponsored department. It's as you put, more a case of individuals and rogue coaches. Jamaica has and has had one of the worst set of testing policies in world sport and they dominate various sprinting events. They could quite literally dope their way through training and submit clean tests at events.

British Cycling does worry me a bit but given the money spent on it, I feel like we could expect such rewards from it without having to suspect foul play, obviously Lance Armstrong and co helped re-assure no one on this front and it's been the question mark ever since.

Bit of a bump....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/50710598

Russia has been handed a four-year ban from all major sporting events by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).

It means the Russia flag and anthem will not be allowed at events such as the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and football's 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

But athletes who can prove they are untainted by the doping scandal will be able to compete under a neutral flag.

Wada's executive committee made the unanimous decision in a meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland.

It comes after Russia's Anti Doping Agency (Rusada) was declared non-compliant for manipulating laboratory data handed over to investigators in January 2019.