After the doping case of the Russian curler Alexander Kruschelnizki, the call for a continuation of the suspension becomes louder at the Winter Games in Pyeongchang.
Russia is back on the doping front, athletes and officials of other nations are frustrated. At the Olympic venue of Pyeongchang, the call for a “clear signal” is growing louder against the repeat offender.
“I would say that the Russians should not officially perform at the closing ceremony,”said Skicrosser Paul Eckert after his Olympic outing in the last sixteen. The debate about the Russians is taking too long for the Bavarian freestyler:”The topic was discussed much too late. I don’t understand why it can’t be sorted out in time.”
Since it became known on Monday evening that the Russian curler Alexander Kruschelnizki was tested positive for the forbidden heart drug Meldonium, the case is hotly debated not only in Pyeongchang. On Wednesday evening, the Russians themselves confirmed the positive B-sample and thus returned officially to the doping pillory.
Everything is waiting for the CAS judgement and hopes that there will be no more chaos. Kruschelnitsky himself will not contribute to the clarification of the case, as the state news agency RIA Novosti announced, he will not appear for his hearing before the CAS on Thursday. After the positive A and B-samples, his statement is “pointless”. Kruschelnitsky was “ready for the judgment that is predictable in such cases”.
Meanwhile, Russia has allegedly fulfilled a crucial condition for lifting the suspension. According to information from the French news agency AFP, the Russians remitted the fine of 15 million dollars (12.14 million euros) to the IOC for their misdemeanours in the state doping affair. On Wednesday evening, AFP named a “person familiar with the case” as the source. The fine was imposed in connection with the announcement of the penalties against Russia in connection with the state doping scandal surrounding the Winter Games in Sochi in 2014 on 5 May 2010. This decision was adopted by the IOC Executive Board on 12 December.
The “Government” of the Ring Order meets on Saturday and decides whether to lift the suspension. Quite a few believe that the Russia-friendly IOC President Thomas Bach would like to embrace the Russians again at the closing ceremony – but now he can’t get the curling case off the ice.
Dirk Schimmelpfennig, German Chief of Mission, believes that “very many people think very critically” about the IOC decision. I believe that it is essential to send out a clear signal that we reject this form of state doping practiced by the Russians,”said Schimmelpfennig in Pyeongchang.
The head of the delegation, however, left it open whether this means that Russia remains suspended. However, in the ongoing clash, the desire for clarity continues to grow. However, CAS and IOC will probably be working on the case until just before the weekend, so that the time of protest until the closing ceremony will be even shorter. The closing party is scheduled for Sunday evening, after which the top athletes will be scattered all over again.
For the German athlete spokeswoman Silke Kassner, there can only be one decision:”It is far too early for a pardon from the Russian NOK – completely independent of the Curler’s case. There must first be a change of system and culture,”said Kassner, who is also an athlete’s representative on the supervisory board of the National Anti-Doping Agency.
“Either a country has the values of protecting clean athletes or it does not. Russia obviously does not have it,”added the former canoeist:”This is shown by the never-ending denial and lack of humility. Without a tangible understanding that sport must be clean, this country cannot have a place in the Olympic family.”
But there are also positions in Pyeongchang for a rehabilitation of the giant empire:”If you caught one, you have to take it out of circulation,” said Franz Reindl, president of the German Ice Hockey Association, who is against a collective punishment. As long as nothing else is behind it, only he should be punished,”said Reindl, who sits on the extended board of the pro-Russian World Federation IIHF.