[News] Russia banned from 2018 Olympics. Clean Russian athletes can compete as neutrals

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

"Sorry but because someone else completely unrelated to you broke the rules you are not allowed to represent your country".

This is stupid and pointless. Just ban the cheaters and let the clean ones compete for Russia.

That's the point. The issue with doping and the Russians is that it is widespread and systemic. The IOC and WADA tried playing whackamole, and that didn't work. So it finally outright banned the Russian NOC. The clean Russian athletes should be blaming their own organizations for their inability to represent their nation.

[TheFlamesVan]

Originally Posted by PugnaciousIntern

I get how a neutral solo athlete can compete - but who runs the neutral teams?

Can there be multiple neutral hockey teams?

Can non-Russian players play for a 'mostly Russian' neutral team?

Does the vacancy of removing the Russian hockey team automatically get filled by the neutral team, or does a team that was closest to making the IIHF qualifying teams (Belarus/Latvia/France) suddenly get entered into their place?

For hockey I think they should allow a team that isn't qualified to fill the void.

[jlh2640]

Hahahahaha amazing

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by PugnaciousIntern

I get how a neutral solo athlete can compete - but who runs the neutral teams?

Can there be multiple neutral hockey teams?

Can non-Russian players play for a 'mostly Russian' neutral team?

Does the vacancy of removing the Russian hockey team automatically get filled by the neutral team, or does a team that was closest to making the IIHF qualifying teams (Belarus/Latvia/France) suddenly get entered into their place?

The IIHF makes that call. And there is precedence. The Commonwealth of Independent States was allowed to compete in 1992, despite having broken up into several independent nations at that point.

Not sure what the IIHF does with this though. Especially this close to the games. Their best option is probably to promote the highest ranked non-qualifier, but we did see that story of Russian officials planning "neutral" uniforms, etc. I suspect it might depend on whether or not the KHL tries to ban non-Russians from going.

[killer_carlson]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

I am nearly done with the Olympics.

I'm not sure I understand your post.

Are you almost done because
a) you are tired of the amount of cheating; or
b) you want the russians to compete, regardless of what WADA finds?

[killer_carlson]

and as per my signature, to quote the Legendary Boney M musical experience:


Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh those Russians...

[Muta]

Why is it that Russia seems to be on a massive worldwide 'being a prick' tour these last few years.

[GirlySports]

the next highest ranked qualifier would be Belarus.

Belarus, Latvia and France finished 2nd in their respective qualifying groups.
Maybe they could have quick playoff over Christmas in Davos.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Muta

Why is it that Russia seems to be on a massive worldwide 'being a prick' tour these last few years.

Someone's gotta do it, they're just taking one for the team.

[GirlySports]

This would be a neutral uniform

[sureLoss]

From the IOC release:

To withdraw Mr Dmitry Chernyshenko, the former CEO of the Organising Committee Sochi 2014, from the Coordination Commission Beijing 2022.

Dmitry Chernyshenko is currently the president of the KHL. Hmmmmmmm

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Muta

Why is it that Russia seems to be on a massive worldwide 'being a prick' tour these last few years.

Are there years they weren't doing this?

[calgaryred]

Wonder what Ovechkin plans on doing if he doesn't have a country to play for. Hes been quite vocal he is going in the past.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by calgaryred

Wonder what Ovechkin plans on doing if he doesn't have a country to play for. Hes been quite vocal he is going in the past.

He has already accepted that he can't go because of his NHL contract.

[Benched]

Originally Posted by calgaryred

Wonder what Ovechkin plans on doing if he doesn't have a country to play for. Hes been quite vocal he is going in the past.

He also recently stated that he would not be going (after the NHL said they would not allow NHL players to attend)



EDIT: Y$@$^@($@ sureloss'd

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by cannon7

Hoping this is the beginning of the end for the IOC. And at their own hands, no less.

I don't get sentiment like this. There have been a couple similar posts. The IOC cracking down hard on state sponsored doping is a positive thing isn't it?

[cznTiburon]

Saw announced as well that even though they can participate under neutral team, any russian who participated in Sochi is also banned so that has a huge weight on their neutral team

[Locke]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

I don't get sentiment like this. There have been a couple similar posts. The IOC cracking down hard on state sponsored doping is a positive thing isn't it?

I think a case could be made that they're the ones who caused it to start in the first place and then turned a blind eye until they couldnt anymore.

They'd have probably preferred to sanction Turkmenistan as opposed to Russia, but they made their own bed, the Russians played in it, and now here we are.

[sureLoss]

Sounds like they are still going:

Tom Harrington @cbctom
REUTERS: Hockey star Ilya Kovalchuk says clean athletes from #Russia competing in #PyeongChang2018 will unite the country

[dash_pinched]

Patrick Johnston@risingaction
Alex Burmistrov, mincing no words, calls IOC decision on Russia 'bull####'