WARNING: SEVERAL ACRONYMS AND INITIALS AHEAD! SO STICK WITH ME:
Ever since the Winter Olympic games were held in Sochi, Russia in 2014, the whole world got fed up and has been relentless in finding what everyone knew but couldn't prove. For decades, every country that competes regularly in Olympic events has accused the Russian athletic teams of using PED's (Performance Enhancing Drugs) to win events and bring home medals for their country. Not just in the Winter Olympics, but the summer games and world championship events as well. But nobody could ever prove that Russian athletes were using PED's to the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) or the IAAF (International Association of Athletic Federations). These two groups monitor all worldwide athletic events to be sure the games, whether Olympic or not, are fairly played.
As it turns out, they weren't.
The ROC (Russian Olympic Committee) has challenged a ban that was given to their Olympic teams. The ban was enforced by the IAAF based on tests administered by the WADA. Russia wants their athletes to compete in the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Rio and denied that their country or athletes have used any banned substances. But the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) has recently, based on the IAAF and WADA's findings, upheld the ban of the Russian tack and field team from competing in Rio. Now the IAAF is demanding that ALL Russian athletes, PED users or not, be banned from the Olympics games.
The IOC (International Olympic Committee) was contacted by the IAAF and WADA and urged to uphold the ban as well. As of now the CAS will not let ANY of Russia's athletes compete in Rio due to the evidence against the ROC and the athletes of Russia, but the IOC must come to the same conclusion for a full ban. The long-time suspicions of Russian athletes using PED's has finally been proven and it looks like we may not see any Russians competing in Rio at all.
With about a month still to go, I have a feeling that, maybe not all, but some Russians will be seen representing their country in the Olympic Games. After all, if they got away with breaking the rules for this long, how can ANYONE stop them from bending them a little?
USA Today carries the bare bones of the story. Click the link below to read their article:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/rio-2016/2016/07/21/cas-upholds-ban-russian-track-and-field-team-rio/87375964/
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