The world of sports, athletes and spectators, has been sabotaged by political interference with the Olympic Games.
Athletes from Russia have been impeded. Track & field (athletics) competitors from Russia have been totally banned from the Rio 2016 Olympics. The USA, the UK, and their allies are punishing the Russian Federation, the world's largest nation, for political & military involvement in the Crimea.
But this forced ban on Russian athletes cheapens the medals being awarded. Each Olympic Champion may have been defeated if competition were truly open. Each medal is diminished by an asterisk noting some competitors were excluded.
Arguing Russia's being banned for widespread doping is bogus: catch the cheaters, but clean athletes must compete. Ground zero for cheating scum dopers is the USA: Lance Armstrong, the BALCO scandal, the disqualified Marion Jones, etc. Fastest American Justin Gatlin has been caught and penalized at least twice for doping...
The Olympics are supposed to rise above politics for a brief period every four years. We've cheated the organizers in Brazil by allowing these Olympic Games to be tarnished. Leaders and spectators should share sadness with athletes and shortchanged competition.
Athletes from Russia have been impeded. Track & field (athletics) competitors from Russia have been totally banned from the Rio 2016 Olympics. The USA, the UK, and their allies are punishing the Russian Federation, the world's largest nation, for political & military involvement in the Crimea.
But this forced ban on Russian athletes cheapens the medals being awarded. Each Olympic Champion may have been defeated if competition were truly open. Each medal is diminished by an asterisk noting some competitors were excluded.
Arguing Russia's being banned for widespread doping is bogus: catch the cheaters, but clean athletes must compete. Ground zero for cheating scum dopers is the USA: Lance Armstrong, the BALCO scandal, the disqualified Marion Jones, etc. Fastest American Justin Gatlin has been caught and penalized at least twice for doping...
The Olympics are supposed to rise above politics for a brief period every four years. We've cheated the organizers in Brazil by allowing these Olympic Games to be tarnished. Leaders and spectators should share sadness with athletes and shortchanged competition.
