Commenting on the current situation in which significantly fewer Russian athletes will be competing at the 2016 Olympic Games due to doping sanctions, Russian President Vladimir Putin says any medals won in Rio will be ‘devalued’ as a result.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided not to ban the entire Russian Olympic Committee, but rather athletes who fall under certain conditions, including having tested positive for a banned substance in the past. The nation of Russia, typically a compelling medal threat across multiple sports, will be sending just one track and field athlete to Rio, while seven swimmers have been banned from competing as well as examples of the punitive effect.
Of the overall impact to the nation’s medal table as a result, Putin commented today that, “It is obvious that the absence of Russian athletes, the leaders in many sports events, significantly reduces the intensity of the competition, and hence makes the upcoming events less spectacular.” (TASS)
Putin further stated, “I think that your colleagues from other world’s leading sports powers also understand that the quality of their medals will be different, because it’s one thing to defeat an equally, strong opponent, and quite another – to compete with obviously weaker opponents. Such victory has a very different taste or maybe bad taste.” (TASS)
On the Russian-sanctioning as a whole, Putin says it is “characterized by so-called double standards and opted for the idea of collective responsibility, which is not compatible with sport, justice in general, or the basic norms of law”.
He’s right. It will be much easier to win a medal, when they don’t have to compete against dopers who cheated to get there.
Vladimir Putin does not give a damn about winning a sports contest. His main concerns are winning wars and this why Russian athletes can not afford the drugs that can not be detected. If track and swimming helped a Russian soldier dodge bullets then he would be all for winning.
Putin must be convinced everyone else cheats at the same level as the Russians, but I’m sure some are better and others worse. That’s probably the communist in him believing in a systematic approach to doping will level the playing field and create equality among comrades and fellow nations.
You figure Yulia was good for 2 individual medals and Vlad, if fully juiced, could have conceivably pulled in 2 individual medals as well. In that regards you could say the competition won’t be as strong without them.
Putin huilo.
he knows where you live alex, good luck.
Putin’s English is NOT very good. What he meant to say is the medals will be INVALUABLE. When he speaks of the ‘intensity of the competition’ he is referring to the intensity of pharmaceutical labs that produce, both legal and illegal, drugs that are purchased by Russian Olympic Committee. What do you mean you want 85 rubles for metenolone, trebolone and oxadrolone? I can get that on Yuckbay for 25 rubles. Putin, he is such a hard (dumb) ass. Dasvidaniya Putin-head!
Shut up, Putin. I am sick of you and your arrogance and sociopathic personality.
Putin supporters? Interesting.
Nyet (no), Mr. Putin.
Fewer Russian athletes means a “cleaner” and better Olympics.
Cheaters and dopers are kept out for breaking the rules.
Don’t break the rules and you won’t be banned from competing.
Uh… that would actually require them to be serious medal contenders without the use of drugs