Olympics 2018: Start of Russian athletes is approaching

Mercy for Russia in the doping crisis?There’s a lot to suggest it.At the IOC summit in Lima, the anti-Russia front is increasingly crumbling.The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) moved further and further away from its anti-doping course, weathering instead on Friday against the National Anti-Doping Agencies (NADOs), which had called for an exclusion of the giant empire from the Winter Games in Pyeongchang in February.

At the same time, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to introduce a fine for athletes and teams that violate doping regulations.The decision has been enshrined in the Olympic Charter and is highly controversial.In the run-up to the Lima Summit, there were reports that Russia was to get away with a heavy fine of 100 million dollars and would be spared an Olympic exclusion.

It seems that the IOC leadership around President Thomas Bach has brought WADA into line on time.Even before Rio, the IOC had already refrained from a collective exclusion of Russia.The largest country in the world is said to have doped on a similar scale at the winter games in Sochi, while the Canadian special investigator Richard McLaren had attested to systematic doping for years.

WADA head Craig Reedie on Friday remarkably praised the reforms in Russia in the anti-doping fight.Just over a year ago, his agency had called for the expulsion of Rio,”There is great progress in Russia.It is important that the Russian National Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) resumes its work,”Reedie said in Lima.

The Scotsman emphasized that it is important for the NADOs to be independent, but that brings with it responsibility.The NADOs would not, however, acknowledge the progress in Russia in any way that this is a mistake,”The work of the NADOs is not helpful,”emphasized Reedie.

We are glad that Mr. Reedie praises progress and distances himself from the National Agencies,”said Alexander Zhukov, head of the National Olympic Committee of Russia in Lima, adding:” We have to stay calm and work.

Previously, IOC member Dennis Oswald had presented the results of his commission, which investigated the doping offences of Russian athletes at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.The Swiss emphasized that more time was needed and the results of a forensic investigation had to be awaited.

At the moment, 50 bottles of doping samples of Russian athletes are being tested:”If we have the results, we will invite the athletes to a hearing,”explained Oswald.He hopes that the investigations have been completed by the end of the year.He also knew that time was running out because of the Winter Games in February.

Also, the results of the second IOC Commission in the doping crisis around Russia was presented.The Commission of the Swiss Samuel Schmid dealt with the suspicion of an institutional conspiracy in Russia and the role of the Russian government.However, the report stated that “no detailed information is available”.The Schmid Commission is also hoping for results in the coming weeks to be able to present results before the Winter Games.