Rio Olympics

[misplaced validity]

Did/does the IOC lose anything in not doing more?

[NUguy514]

(08-09-2017 09:39 AM)Culturegeek Wrote:  

(08-08-2017 08:27 AM)NUguy514 Wrote:  This seems like as good a place as any to post this, but I watched the documentary Icarus last night. I could give a synopsis, but that seems unnecessary. Suffice it to say that Thomas Bach and the IOC can go fuck themselves with chainsaws for not banning every single Russian athlete from the Rio Olympics after WADA corroborated the enormous amounts of evidence that there has been a systematic, state-sponsored doping program in Russia for almost fifty years that became really aggressive in the last ten years (at Putin's behest, no less) and recommended a complete ban of Russia for the Rio Olympics. I also would like every single medal Russia won in Sochi to be stripped and given to the rightful winners of those medals since every single Russian athlete was doping during those Games. It's unconscionable how corrupt Bach and the IOC are.

I'm actually a little surprised so little ended up happening. The IOC is combating so many assaults to it's relevance you'd think they'd think twice about opening up another avenue.

I'm not surprised because when has the IOC ever cared about anything other than money, and there was really a 0% chance they'd ban one of the biggest delegations from an entire Games. The IOC presumably made a shit-ton of money from the Sochi Games and cared less about the correct ethical stance than about not pissing off Putin. Also, as it relates to Bach specifically, he has had a close relationship with Putin, who was instrumental in Bach's election; you know Bach wasn't going to do anything to piss off too much the man to whom he was indebted – especially since that man is Vladimir Putin. I don't know how much money the various delegations have to pay the IOC (annually or otherwise), but I'm sure Russia's contribution is large and not an amount the IOC would want to be suddenly without. I don't know how all of that works, but I do know the decision to allow some Russian athletes to compete (including athletes like Yulia Efimova who had tested positive in the past) was to the IOC's monetary benefit – which would easily outweigh the infinite reasons to ban the entire delegation and which is the only reason that matters to such a corrupt organization. The dilemma was likely in figuring out a way to spin not banning all the Russian athletes. The spin was bullshit a year ago, and it's still bullshit. Of course, had the offending nation been, say, Ghana or Portugal or Ecuador (i.e. not a powerhouse), I have zero doubt the entire delegation would have been banned without a second thought.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of the Russian medals from Sochi are eventually stripped (#justiceforYunaKim), but I doubt all of them will.

And, MV, the IOC doesn't lose anything since it's not really accountable to any other entity. It loses respect, but I don't know that it ever really had any to begin with. And it's not like a bunch of countries will stop sending athletes to compete or stop paying whatever dues they have to pay, although those might be the most effective ways to foment real changes, if changes are even possible with such a corrupt organization.