Russian athletes have systematically cheated for years. The Wikipedia page is too long and complicated to try to condense and enumerate the many faults, going back decades for this story, but let me give you some “highlights”.
For years there was state sponsored systematic doping. They have been stripped of 46 Olympic medals. The most flagrant abuse was discovered after a whistle blower complaint to the World Anti-Doping Agency. It was discovered that tainted urine and blood samples were being swapped out for clean ones through a hole in a lab wall, before the samples were tested for illegal drugs. This went on between 2010 and 2014. Many of the major athletes were banned from the Olympics in 2016 and those that were allowed to compete had to do so under a neutral flag.
Russia was banned from all major sporting events in 2019 for four years, but the Court of Arbitration for Sports reduced the ban to two years in 2020. But rather than suspending the athletes themselves, the coaches and the whole Russian Olympic Federation, the punishment was only that future athletes couldn’t compete under the Russian flag. Rather, they had to compete under the neutral Olympic flag. If they won, their national anthem wouldn’t be played. Big deal. They could continue to compete with barely a slap on the wrist.
Compete and cheat they did. This time, they were allowed to carry a flag that showed the Russian colors and the team was called the “Russian Olympic Committee”, whatever that meant. If they won, strains of Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” would be played during the gold medal ceremony. That showed ’em.
During this winter season, a 15 year old skating phemon was on the rise; Kamila Valieva. All the professional commenters swooned over her. They’d never seen anyone so talented, so lovely and she could do multiple quad jumps (never before landed in competition) like it was child’s play. Yet, at the Russian National Competiton on December 25, 2021, she tested positive for a banned substance: trimetazidine, a heart medication that no 15 year old would ever be prescribed. It could be used to boost endurance during training. She was banned from the team for a day, then reinstated. The bad sample was sent to the official testing lab in Switzerland…not to be heard from for weeks and weeks.
She went off to China and competed in the first round of the Olympic Winter Games. She was flawless and exquisite, helping her team win gold in the team skating event.
Suddenly, the Swiss lab came back with the definitive test results. Yes indeed, her sample was tainted, she had the banned substance in it. Why had it taken so long for them to test it? They were short-handed due to Covid, they claimed. Who knows what the truth is. A hasty plea for arbitration was made. She is only 15, a “protected minor”. This gives her special status. The adults around her spoke for her. She appeared over Zoom and said she drank some water from a glass that her grandfather, who took the medication, had also sipped from (WHAT?).
She performed well enough the night of the individual short program. She sat in first place as she waited for the committee to decide her fate. They decided that, since she was ONLY 15, she shouldn’t be punished. (This was provisional, waiting for a final ruling that could takes months to decide.) She was not responsible for what went into her body.
The Americans who provided “color” commentary cried foul. Tara Lipinski, herself a gold medal winner at the age of 15, said she was drilled at an early age to know EXACTLY what she ingested and to be careful about everything. Johnny Weir, another former Olympic skater, said this would ruin their sport, it could no longer be trusted that everyone was playing on a level field. He was furious. Both agreed that she should not be allowed to skate, as much as they thought she was a prodigy. Her cheating should not be rewarded, even if she was only doing what her coach (who was notorious for getting results while emotionally abusing her charges) told her what to do. Another example of Russian bullying tactics.
One could sense her nerves when she went onto the ice the evening of the long program. And she fell apart. She landed on her butt twice. She couldn’t land her quad jumps, which had been gorgeous in the team event just days earlier. She is only 15 and the world had turned against her. She had no one to protect and comfort her. She had to be perfect for the Motherland and she didn’t have the emotional maturity to do that. She left the ice in tears. Rather than consoling her, her coach chided her. Kamila finished in fourth place.
Thomas Bach, the President of the International Olympic Committee went on TV the next day to chastise the coach and the system that did not support this poor young girl and finally understood why it would have been better to keep her out of the glare of the spotlight. One just doesn’t do that to a 15 year old. The question of her eligibility was only provisional. It is still being adjudicated. The Russians could still lose their gold medal in the team event, and deserve to do so.
With the Russian invasion of Ukraine, all Russian athletes are now banned from international competition, as part of sanctions being imposed to isolate Russia from the civilized world. A different young Russian figure skater won the gold medal at the Olympics, but will not be able to defend that title at the World Championship. For the moment, the ban settles the issue of cheating, but only for the moment.
Tweet from Jill Wine-Banks (friend of a friend) after Russian invasion of Ukraine; all Russian athletes banned from international competion.
Betsy PfauRetired from software sales long ago, two grown children. Theater major in college. Singer still, arts lover, involved in art museums locally (Greater Boston area). Originally from Detroit area.
A terrifically analysis about one of the most widespread forms of “cheating” out there — and by perhaps its greatest proponent, dear Russia. And just how incapable/feeble (choose one or both) the IOC is in banning and/or punishing it. I guess the one silver lining of the Russian invasion of Ukraine will be to keep the Russians out of international competitions for a while — albeit not because of their cheating.
And, although I completely agree with your condemnation of cheating, I must admit that I am amused by the routine of dark comedian Daniel Tosh, who takes the contrarian position that, as far as he is concerned, ALL athletes should take performance enhancing drugs. As Tosh sees it, the only thing the athletes care about is winning (regardless of any effects the drugs may have on their long-term health) and why shouldn’t we fans get to see the best possible performances by these athletes, regardless of what they’re taking or doing to themselves. I assume Tosh is kidding, but it is an interesting angle.
The Russians should have been banned long ago, John. None of this “slap on the wrist” stuff. They never seem to learn their lesson, not in sports or politics. As for Tosh, his comment his humorous but not valid. We want to see athletes compete at their best without enhancements. The Russian can’t seem to learn the lesson of fair play.
Fully agree, Betsy. And, to put Tosh’s comments in perspective, he also does rape “jokes.”
WOW! Talk about a topic that should be banned!
Yes; Tosh definitely crosses lines that shouldn’t be crossed.
Clearly.
Wow Betsy, thanx for the eye-opener, although not surprising. Allowing athletes with doping history to compete under that alternate flag seemed ridiculous through the recent Olympics!
We had some insight, not into doping but into what goes on behind the scenes with young Olympic athletes and their families years ago when we visited the parents of the gymnast Kerry Strug whose dad was my husband’s classmate.
The glory for the winners must be great, but in my book not worth the sacrifices – and for those who cheat, not worth the risks.
That’s interesting, Dana. We religiously watch the Olympics. I remember Kerry Strug sticking her vault landing on her broken ankle very well. Are you telling me that her dad was 10 years ahead of me at Brandeis? Or did he go to a different school with Danny?
Yes Burt Strug was in Danny’s Brandeis class, we visited them in Colorado years ago.
Burt is a retired physician and he and Danny are still in touch.
Thanks for this interesting factoid, Dana.
Many of us watched this latest Olympic catastrophe take place, Betsy, great recap. And, remember the East German swim team sometime back in the 70s? Those women were given testosterone and other hormones without their knowledge. They won gold medals but permanently damaged their bodies. Very tragic.
I do remember the East German swimmers, Mare. PEDs have kept baseball players out of the Hall of Fame, caused football players to have uncontrollable rage. They do a lot of damage to users of all varieties.
Betsy, thanks for this interesting story about doping and the Olympics. Also a clever way to avoid talking about cheating on a personal level! Not that I’m suggesting you have ever done it, I’m sure you have not, but as I mention in my own story, it’s hard to imagine that people would admit it if they had.
I took a prop ring from the costume shop at camp one summer (not sure if that is actually cheating); I was so consumed by guilt that I brought it back the next summer. I am a straight arrow, Suzy.
Since both of my daughters were figure skaters, I have followed the sport and totally agree with you. I do have some sympathy for these young Russian girls who are removed from their homes, kept very thin to avoid puberty (they were not even allowed to drink water when competing), physically and emotionally abused, and then tossed aside after a few years because no developed woman could do what they do. Also, their famous quad jumps are cheated as they begin to rotate too soon, resulting in back injuries when they get older. Russia should be banned from competition because of this history of cheating as well as the war in Ukraine. Their coach should never be allowed to train more young girls, and should be banned as well. This is child abuse.
Thank you for this in depth look at the sport and how the Russians have perverted it, Laurie. You give us much more wisdom than I possess but we arrive at the same place.
Not much in or about Russia that does not reek of corruption. I don’t know when that has not been the case.
As for Tosh, I didn’t know that he thinks rape is funny, but the few times I watched his show, I found it, and him, smarmy and mean-spirited. Hard pass on Tosh.
We agree on both counts, Dave.
This raises lots of thoughts about elite sports in general. Anyone who has friends or family involved in them can tell stories of physical and emotional challenges, and devious ways people use to “win”. You have given a clear example from the sports world, and it is not pretty.
I think competing at the highest level in sports is very challenging and often ugly, Khati.
Cheat and compete they did. Great sentence. I love your compassion for the kids caught in the mighty need to win. Nice piece.
Thank you, Lucinda and welcome to Retrospect.