The Russian figure skating federation will decide whether it's going to boycott the Korean Olympics altogether as a team or not in a few days. Individual skaters who still wish to participate would have to do it on their own at their own expense. There is no point in going there, if Russian athletes are not allowed to show their national flag and the Russian national anthem will not be played at award ceremonies. The top female Russian skater said that she would not go to Pyeongchang as a stateless athlete. The 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics will become one of those failed Olympics entirely ruined by politically motivated boycotts.
the summer/winter Olympics have been somewhat of a "failed" venture for several decades now, afaic. This isn't anything new. The Russians/soviets have been doping since the Olympics restarted after WW2. Same as the US, Brits, French, Chinos, Germans, former soviet bloc/warsaw pact, and so on. I used to enjoy watching some of the games years back...when it was about the athletes, but haven't been and probably wont, its been corrupted, and far too may politics involved.
Russia may not be able to participate in the olympics, but they are still planning to participate in the next US election the Olympic ban is turning out to be a big plus for Donald Trump.... now he does have to agonize about which team to support
Yes, same here. I used to watch the Olympics some 30 or so years back. But I'm not a bit interested in them today. I might check the medal standings a few times, then again maybe not. But I am not interested in watching any of it.
The Figure Skating Federation of Russia (FFKKR) has decided that Russian figure skates will go to Pyeongchang as OARs (Olympic Athletes from Russia). It was also reported that some American athletes may not perform at the 2018 Olympics due to safety concerns. Pyeongchang is too close to the North Korean border and North Korea could take Olympic athletes hostage by seizing the Olympic village.
Granny says dey gonna have to play nice an' not do any performance-enhancing drugs... Russian Olympic Head Says 200 Of Russia's Athletes Might Compete Under Neutral Flag December 12, 2017 • The decision comes one week after the International Olympic Committee suspended Russia's national team over a system of doping.
As this applies to Russians I can assume that it doesn't apply to anyone else? So only Russians will have to "pass strict scrutiny"? I don't like the sound of it.
Despite the ban, around clean 200 Russian athletes are expected to compete at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics wearing the proposed logo above. The restrictions also will apply to training uniforms and casualwear and anything resembling the Russian national uniform may not be permitted.
Lots of events are being mired in political mud, from sport to the Eurovision song contest. But sport v politics have been going on for decades. Even Muhammad Ali suffered. http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/z83nfg8
LOL, well the russkis take doping to new&higher levels all the time. I used to watch their women athletes back in the SU days....tree stumps for arms and legs, look like Chewbacca from Star Wars, and barely 19 yrs old,lol. You tell me.