“Silly and biased decision”: sports functionaries criticized WADA's verdict against Russia

We must fight for pure athletes

The WADA decision caused a serious resonance in Russia and in domestic sports federations. Most executives called the verdict of the World Anti-Doping Agency unfair and expressed the hope that it could still be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The Olympic champion in speed skating, State Duma deputy Svetlana Zhurova did not stand aside.

“We have to fight for pure athletes who will have to perform at the Olympics in Tokyo, Beijing, and in general at any international competitions. Some tournaments take place every week. If you fully follow the recommendations issued, then it turns out that athletes generally will not be able to participate anywhere. Russia can do without competitions, but not athletes. Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to protect their right to sport. They may be deprived of it contrary to all charters - on human rights, the Olympic, ”Zhurova said on the Russia 24 television channel.

According to the first deputy chairman of the State Duma committee on international affairs, the WADA verdict is clearly political in nature.

“If this were not so, officials and someone else, but not athletes, would be punished. This decision hurt me personally as a former athlete. I was accused of what I did not do. And many colleagues too. Why does collective responsibility fall on 15-year-old girls? On our brilliant skaters, synchronized athletes or representatives of those sports where no one has ever heard of doping scandals? What should they think about? What do you need to leave for another country? One journalist said that he would be glad to see the athlete who would sue his country, which deprived him of the opportunity to go to the Olympics. But we will not do this, we will protect our athletes. I am sure we will succeed in this, and we will prove that there are manipulations from WADA. I hope the court in Lausanne takes note of this, ”Zhurova added.

In turn, the two-time Olympic champion Vyacheslav Fetisov, who is also a deputy of the State Duma, on the contrary, noted that the WADA verdict on politics was “out of the question” and called for punishing all the winners.

“I am very upset by this decision, hoping for a different verdict. It can ruin our sport. And the reputation is hard to restore, it is a long-term process. Will the appeal to CAS help Russia? In any case, it is necessary to address, but I'm not sure that we have arguments. There were suggestions that the opinions in WADA may be divided, but it turned out that a unanimous decision was made. This suggests that the arguments against us were more than convincing, ”Fetisov said in an interview with RT.

At the same time, the illustrious hockey player emphasized that a possible skip to the next Olympic Games would be a real tragedy for athletes.

“My mother-in-law is the head coach in gymnastics. She is crying now. She has been in sports all her life, she is offended by the girls and boys who were preparing for the Games. A similar story was in 1984, when the USSR refused to go to the Olympics in Los Angeles - this is an injury for the rest of his life. Now the story is similar, but because of the officials, ”Fetisov added.

He also told how athletes in this situation can protect their rights and whether they will go into conflict with the federations.

“We need to open documents: there is a prescribed system of disqualification, we must read what rights athletes have. We remember how, starting from the Olympics in Rio, they tried to treat collectively and individually, someone succeeded, someone did not. I hope there may be concessions for Russian athletes, ”Fetisov concluded.

“Sanctions will not affect the European Football Championship 2020”

The decision of WADA caused serious discussions with regard to football, because in 2020 St. Petersburg should host three matches of the European Championship. In addition, the question arose whether the Russian team will now go to the championship of the planet 2022. According to the honorary president of the RFU, Vyacheslav Koloskov, sanctions should minimally affect the number one sport.

“They will not touch Euro 2020, St. Petersburg will host four matches, here you can sleep peacefully. I think that the World Cup 2022 will not be affected. Russia will participate in the qualifying tournament one hundred percent. As for the rest of the sports, we must wait for the decision of the CAS. I have no doubt that our authorities will turn there, and the court will correct the decision announced today. I think that “clean” athletes will be allowed to participate in competitions in a neutral status. This is what happened in Korea, where the Russian national hockey team won gold, ”said an RT functionary.

Koloskov also commented on the course of the fateful meeting of the WADA Executive Committee for Russia, and explained why the decision was made unanimously.

“Everyone should openly express their position. But I would not associate this decision with politics. It’s another matter that we still didn’t understand which violations were prescribed by Russia. The reason was called data mismatch, but which? What should athletes do now? Protrude. Practice has shown that it is in their interests to participate in competitions, albeit under neutral status, ”added the Honorary President of the RFU.

For its part, the Russian authorities in this situation should support athletes, says an experienced functionary.

“First you need to find the guilty. May they be punished. Is it not time to drive out all those involved and reform our sport completely? I do not think that there are reasons for this. There are two or three sports in which there are problems with doping: athletics and weightlifting, for example, plus individual decisions were made by biathletes. But why bother everyone in a heap and destroy everything? What does, for example, pentathlon, synchronized swimming, rhythmic gymnastics? You just need to work with individual federations, ”Koloskov emphasized.

“As if WADA knew everything beforehand”

Much more emotional about the WADA verdict was expressed by the Secretary General of the Boxing Federation of Russia Umar Kremlev. But at the same time, he emphasized that in this situation there is also the fault of domestic functionaries.

“Stupid decision, wonderful. Too biased, as if they knew everything in advance, so that in a few years he would voice it - before the Olympics. The previous time it was done before the Winter Games, and now - before the summer. But this is rather a message to us, sports functionaries and leaders of the federations, because it really says that work is not being carried out in the international arena. It is necessary that all people have executive committees and committees. There are no Russian representatives in WADA - and that’s it, WADA travels around us as he wants. It is necessary that we join international organizations so that they do not make such decisions. Of course, you need to appeal to CAS, if CAS does not support it, you should go further, you need to get your way, make noise, you must not keep silent, ”Kremlev said in an interview with RT.

At the same time, the head of the FBI emphasized that WADA has taken on too much, imposing sanctions on the whole country.

“WADA may exclude a federation or athlete who violates the rules. This is apparently a kind of envy of the country, because Russia is a great power in sports and in everything. I just don’t understand who will conduct international tournaments now, ”Kremlev said.

He also told whether Russian boxers would go to international tournaments under neutral status.

“The guys want us to raise our flag and play the anthem during the competition. What is the point of traveling otherwise? To get a medal? They’d better go to professional boxing, where there will be an anthem and a flag, and they will earn more money, and they will become popular all over the world. We’ll talk, but so far the boxers do not plan to go to the Olympics, ”concluded Kremlev.

In turn, the former head of the All-Russian Athletics Federation, Valentin Balakhnichev, called for a calmer attitude to the results of the WADA executive committee and to prepare for appeal to CAS.

“Of course, this is a tragedy for athletes, for sports, but it was predictable. The compliance committee made a proposal, and the executive committee, as a rule, accepts them. Enormous hype was raised in the press, in the whole near-sports world, as a result, the decision was made unanimously. In this situation, in my opinion, a call to CAS is possible, but the result can be predicted in advance. I myself was in CAS, I know how it works, of whom it consists. I think we’ll have to put up with RUSADA’s four-year suspension and move on, ”said an RT functionary.

According to Balakhnichev, in Russia in the near future it is necessary to start preparing a sports reserve with an eye to the end of the four-year suspension period.

“The decision of WADA will not affect the participation of athletes in competitions under neutral status. We will lose prestige, but we will maintain quality, we will consider these athletes to be our own. Nevertheless, for four years you should not sleep, but reformat the Russian sport and, first of all, the anti-doping system, as well as take up the reserve and actively prepare new athletes who will be ready to compete on equal footing in four years. As for football, I think there is a danger of removal from the World Cup-2022, but it is not great. This is a completely different sport, ”Balakhnichev added.

“No panic is needed”

The leaders of the Russian winter sports federations, for example, the head of the Russian Ski Racing Federation Elena Vyalbe, were outraged and upset by the WADA decision.

“Very sad news. I do not even know what to say. It is definitely up to the federations to defend our rights. First, RUSADA and their supervisory board, as well as our national Olympic Committee. Definitely you can’t give up, you need to go to the end. It is impossible to control the fate of athletes who have nothing to do with all this at all, ”R-Sport quotes Vyalbe.

And the president of the Russian Curling Federation Dmitry Svishchev, on the contrary, urged not to sprinkle ashes on his head and said that there was nothing tragic in the WADA decision.

“Yes, unpleasant. Of course, unfortunately for us, this is an unfair decision, we all understand this. But no panic is needed. It is imperative to challenge the decision and adapt to this situation. Yes, the decision is politicized. I personally spoke with many foreign functionaries, they say that they are under pressure, this pressure was undisguised. We are not accustomed to the fact that we are sanctioned to speak without a flag. But we won’t love athletes less from this, we’ll still worry about them, rejoice at their successes, ”the head of the FCR“ Championship ”quotes.

At the same time, he emphasized that depriving Russia of the right to host major tournaments would become a problem, primarily for international sports federations.

“The best world championships in modern history are held in Russia. WADA robs athletes and fans of pleasure. We are the trendsetters of sports fashion, without our presence they cannot do anything, ”Svishchev said.

In turn, the head of the FSSR, Natalia Gart, said whether Sochi could postpone the 2020 World Luge Championship.

“I hope that there will be no cancellation of the championship of the planet, because very little time is left before it begins. And from an organizational point of view it’s hard to postpone the tournament somewhere, since it’s hard for any country to take and organize a competition in two months, which we have been preparing for about a year. And, of course, a lot of work has been done and serious material costs have been incurred. I don’t know who will decide to cancel the World Cup, ”said Garth.

The head of the domestic luge has admitted that in this situation, she is most sorry for Russian athletes, most of whom have nothing to do with doping.

“It is very difficult for them to explain why they are being expelled. They don’t hear us yet. I do not know who is on the list of these 145 athletes. I think all of our athletes are “clean.” I can answer for my federation - we have not had such cases yet. All suspicions that fell on us a year ago, we easily repulsed in court. No need to give up, you need to continue to train. We are participating in international tournaments for the time being, and then we will work out a joint position and will think about how to live on. There is hope for CAS. I really hope that it will be possible to appeal the decision, ”Garth said on the Russia 24 television channel.

Among other tournaments, the Universiade in Yekaterinburg in 2023 is now a big question. The head of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) Oleg Matytsin admitted that so far he can not imagine how things will develop in the future.

“We hope that this is not a final decision, but the final one will be announced already in CAS. But we are closely monitoring the situation, with great respect for this verdict, as soon as we receive detailed information, we will develop our position and strategy. Today the situation is very difficult, however, the global sports community must find a way out of this crisis and minimize the interests of athletes. The rights of athletes should not be violated, ”said Matytsin.

“I consider these decisions biased and inexplicable”

Most of the domestic functionaries still did not hide their emotions after the promulgation of severe sanctions. So, the president of the Russian Figure Skating Federation (FFKKR) Alexander Gorshkov called the WADA decision “discrediting”.

“In no case should we give up - we must fight, seek justice, and above all, we must defend the interests of athletes. For starters, in the CAS, then, possibly, in civil courts, ”Gasshkova quotes TASS.

Agreed with him and the head of the Federation of Russian Gymnastics (FSGR) Vasily Titov.

“I consider these decisions biased and inexplicable. They are too biased and politicized. WADA punishes Russia as a state. They intervened in the doping story without giving a single objective evidence. There were arguments of athletes, journalists, but not those who are involved in this. How did they collect this information? WADA is an absolutely opaque organization. For me, all these mechanisms are incomprehensible. They punish the country and all “pure” athletes. Why should this be fair? ”Said the functionary.

In turn, Svetlana Gladyshev, a member of the Presidium of the Russian Alpine Skiing Federation, was outraged that now “pure” athletes must prove their innocence in order to gain the right to compete.

“This WADA must prove that they are not“ clean ”, it’s not a candy to put in your mouth, and it has dissolved, from doping there is a loop. Such a decision is unfair: there is a direct impact on honest athletes. Yes, for example, there are athletes who have fallen for intentionally or unintentionally taking doping, but why should pure athletes suffer? ”The newspaper writes Gladysheva.

And the president of the International Sports Shooting Federation (ISSF) Vladimir Lisin in this situation took the side of Svishchev and Balakhnichev rather and noted that no tragedy had occurred.

“Russian athletes will perform everywhere, just go to the Olympics and world championships under neutral status. The situation is unpleasant, but not enough to make a tragedy out of it. Probably, it’s not very pleasant that there will be no Russian symbol, but the victory from this will not decrease. I think that on the contrary, they will support even more athletes who have suffered without fault, ”Lisin said.

Finally, the president of the Russian Weightlifting Federation Maxim Agapitov emphasized that the country has made a huge leap in terms of combating illicit drugs in sports.

“We have the most advanced, progressive anti-doping system. There are no fears that any of our athletes might get caught. In this regard, we can share our experience, ”said Agapitov.