WORLD

The International Olympic Committee has suspended the Russian Olympic Committee “with immediate effect,” effectively banning the country from the upcoming Winter Olympics. (NPR)

What Winter Olympic athletes are the most fit?

Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit.

Discussion Ideas

• Why has the International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended the Russian Olympic Committee for the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympics?
  • The suspension surrounds Russia’s “system of state-supported cheating by its athletes who used performance-enhancing drugs.”

• How does the IOC know athletes used banned substances during past Olympic events?
  • Athletes’ urine is frequently tested for the presence of banned substances, including performance-enhancing drugs. Tests may be performed by individual countries, individual sports federations, or the IOC itself. “Because of the huge number of samples and tests that need to be conducted in a short period of time, not every sample is tested for every drug.”
  • At the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, thousands of urine samples from hundreds of athletes have been retested with increasingly sophisticated technology. The IOC can hold and test the samples for up to 10 years.

• How does the IOC know the use of banned substances was state-sponsored and not the result of decisions by individual athletes?
  • The IOC relied on the McLaren Report, a huge investigation conducted by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 2016. The McLaren Report found:
    • Russia’s Ministry of Sport determined which athletes needed protection under its plan, called the Disappearing Positive Methodology.
    • The plan touched a range of sports in both the winter and summer Olympics, from athletics (track and field) to wrestling, weightlifting, judo, skating, and sailing.
    • A steroid cocktail that was “optimized to avoid detection” contained oral turinabol (later replaced by trenbolone), oxandrolone, and methasterone. The report adds that the steroids “were dissolved in alcohol (whisky for men and vermouth for women).”
    • Nicknamed “Duchess,” the steroid cocktail was to be swished around in athletes’ mouths and then spat out, a process that left them vulnerable to detection for only three to five days — a shorter window of detection than other delivery methods offer.
  • “To investigate the claims against Russia, the Olympics’ governing body has been relying on two groups. A broad investigation is being led by the Inquiry Commission chaired by Samuel Schmid, a former President of Switzerland. Individual cases are being looked at by the Disciplinary Commission, chaired by Denis Oswald, a Swiss lawyer and former IOC executive board member.”
  • Finally, the IOC was very aware of three whistleblowers (a doctor, an anti-doping employee, and an athlete) who explained how the Russian delegation cheated during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Samples of athlete’s urine were passed through a hole in the wall between the urine sample collection room and storage space where lab technicians exchanged athletes’ samples for clean urine. Here’s a map.

• How has Russia responded to the suspension?
  • Russian leaders generally object to the accusations.
    • President Vladimir Putin calls the charges “a dangerous return to this policy of letting politics interfere with sport.”
    • Vitaly Smirnov, who leads the Russian anti-doping commission, says, “Everyone is talking about how to punish Russia, but no one is talking about how to help Russia. Of course we want our athletes there, and we want the Russian flag and anthem.”
    • Some leaders have called for a Russian boycott of the Olympics. A boycott would mean the Russian government would prohibit any Russian athlete from competing in the games.
    • Russian state television station has said it will not broadcast the Olympics if the Russian team is not participating.
  • Some leaders have welcomed the chance for “clean” athletes to take part in the games.

• What have the IOC and WADA investigations meant so far?
  • Russia’s medal count from the 2014 Winter Olympics has been severely reduced. Russia finished the games with 33 medals, but has since had 11 taken away due to WADA discoveries.
  • Athletes found to be involved in doping activity have been made ineligible for future Olympics. At the latest count, 25 Russian athletes (including gold medalists in skiing, biathlon, and bobsleigh) are ineligible to compete.
  • The McLaren Report recommended a blanket ban for Russia during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but IOC decided to leave the decision up to individual governing bodies of each sport.
  • Russia was banned from the 2016 Paralympics in Rio.

• What does the new IOC suspension mean?
  • Russian athletes are entirely banned from the 2018 Paralympics.
  • Russian officials are forbidden to attend the games, Russian athletes will not walk in the opening ceremony or compete as a team, Russia’s flag will not be displayed, and its anthem will not be played.
  • The eligibility of individual Russian athletes will be assessed by the IOC and the individual governing bodies of their sports (such as the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation or the International Skating Union).
  • Athletes who pass scrutiny will wear a uniform bearing their name and the inscription “Olympic Athlete from Russia.” Should the athlete win a medal, the Olympic flag will be displayed and the Olympic Anthem will be played.
  • Russia will have to pay $15 million to the IOC to fund the anti-doping investigation and contribute to the establishment of a new Independent Testing Authority (ITA).
  • If Russia “respects and implements” what the IOC has called for, the sanctions may be lifted in time for the closing ceremony.

• When and where can we watch “Olympic athletes from Russia” and other competitors at the next Olympic Games?
  • The XXIII Olympic Winter Games will be held February 9 through February 25 in PyeongChang, South Korea. Keep up with the schedule and latest news here.
  • Events most impacted by the suspension include biathlon, cross-country skiing, figure skating, skeleton, and speed skating. Keep an eye on those, competition may be more intense there.

TEACHERS TOOLKIT

NPR: Russia Is Banned From 2018 Olympics; Athletes Told To Compete Under Olympic Flag

New York Times: Russia Banned from Winter Olympics by I.O.C.

BBC: Russian doping: IOC bans Russia from 2018 Winter Olympics

New York Times: Russian Doctor Explains How He Helped Beat Doping Tests at the Sochi Olympics

Nat Geo: Winter Olympic Athletes: Who is Fittest?