Team Russia

[Lunna]

56 минут назад, Xen сказал:

Anyways, back to Russia-good to see Putin isn't so strident. Allowing athletes to compete is still okay- people will figure out the athletes are from Russia anyways, since Russia will be part of the introduction right, with "Olympic athlete from Russia"?

Also that's a commentators work to tell where is an athlete from. I think Russia is less nationalistic and we usually pity the weakest and innocent ones (athletes in this case) so I don't think the boycott from the government would be received well. Although I don't want to talk for everybody cuz the country is big and some can have different opinions.

[ralucutzagy]

 

[Altie]

4 hours ago, Joey said:

 

What sources would that be? Because from where I looked, I haven't found any, and a lot was still reported as "might", "there are suspicions", or the definite statements between different sources contradicted each other.

And I'd like to add that I agree with what Yata just said - "truth" is never as universal as people might think. I've had to learn that pretty quickly in my are of work too (and I work in science, not journalism).

 

Well, as I said above, I think Icarus is a good start to form one's own opinion - of course the journalist is american and Rodchenkov is his friend and he shows his point of view, so there is a bias, but still, what is shown about doping in general (not only in russia, in the usa too), Rodchenkov's personnality, and the facts that are shown and which were confirmed by the commissions are a good starting point for each one to build its own idea. And from then, search in reliable medias if there are other points of view.

 

And of course I'm aware that opinions differ, that things are generally much more complicated than they look, and that you can see the same facts completely differently depending on the point of view. But I'm a scientist too, since I'm a researcher in physics, and I know that an opinion is an opinion, but a fact is a fact. Some people may have the opinion that global warming doesn't exist and that God created the earth 6000 years ago, do I have to consider their opinion on the same level than the scientific ones, which are based on proofs and facts ?

I reacted because implying that "there is no reliable media, they twist reality" is the open door to the lies and alt facts, imho. Not every opinion has the same value. There is the smal bias, and then there's the outright lie. None of them is the truth, but one of them is still one piece of the puzzle, while the other one goes directly to the trash.

(I didn't even give my point of view about the Sotchi doping affair, btw, as it wasn't my point at all)

[EisElle]

Putin's words seems encouraging. For sure things looks better than yesterday. Let's hope for the best.

 

I don't know how much on topic this is, so I'm putting this under spoiler

Spoiler

 

I was listening to an italian podcast with Max Ambesi and others (weekly podcast about winter sports in general) and of course they were discussing the IOC decision and making a summary of what had happened. I hope the same group translating the Kiss and Cry podcasts will translate this too, because they were making some interesting points I wasn't aware of or I had not thought about, like what happens to coaches of athletes involved in doping, or if it is "legitimate" to punish twice athletes that have already paid for (not Sochi-related) doping before. Athletes from other countries involved in doping in previous years have been given a second chance, but now some russians won't. For how much I'd like not to see any athlete ever involved in doping take part into Olys, I have to admit that if the purpose of sanctions and bans is to correct and not to punish, then I can't deny this is a fair point. If these athletes' punishment has ended before PyeongChang, they should be given the same chances of athletes from other countries who did the same.

 

Tbh the whole thing sounds so much like a spy story, it's creepy to think it's happened. From what I gather the question is still rather muddled, in particular from a purely juridic point of view. Lots of decisions that, even if I feel that are "morally right", might not be that "right" by law.

There are some undeniable facts though:

1) Rodchenkov, the main (but not the first) whistleblower about the doping system, was already involved in murky affairs related to sell of doping drugs around 2011 (his sister was sentenced for that. He attempetd suicide and then became his sister's accusator). Also, his "mental problems" were already known way before he became the main accusator, so it's a bit ludicrous that now someone would diminish his allegations just because he is "mad". If he was already mentally instable, why did they kept him in such a prominent role for so many years? 

2) he kept being the the man in charge of the russian anti-doping despite point 1).

Such a man was appointed for a role that should require moral and professional integrity. Which imo means that 1) they didn't cared a s**t about having a serious anti doping program or 2) they kept him exaclty because of his particular "expertise".

As Ambesi brilliantly summarized, it's as if Dracula and his sister were in charge of AVIS (the italian association for blood donation)

So, I find really hard to believe the whole thing is just an anti-russian machination (as one of the italian commentators said, btw. He was saying that the main accusator isn't trustworthy because of who he is. But, as another commie said, why was he in charge of anti doping to begin with? To me this is exactly what makes him trustworthy in this whole story).

 

Another interesting point, they think it's possible Russia might have made some sort of negotiation before IOC's decision, accepting to pay for the expenses etc and not to boycott, and in change IOC made some concessions.

I think this is quite possible as well, expecially seeing Putin's reaction.

 

 

What's certain is that, if Russian athletes go to PyeongChang, they'll be by far the cleanest And everyone will know, beyond any doubt, that their medals are truly deserved.

silver linings, silver linings everywhere

[Yatagarasu]

 

Bless Ksenia, she has had enough! 

[Guest turquoiseblue]

Ksenia Stolbova: We will compete at the Olympics under the white flag

 

Quote

I better get this said, it will be better if you leave us alone and let us calmly prepare for the Olympics. Because two nights in a row, from 3 o’clock till 6 am we couldn’t have rest,  they have been calling us all the time.

 

Leave us alone, without any unnecessary questions. We will prepare for the Olympics. We will go there under the white flag. And we will defend our Motherland. We are not orphans. We have a huge great country. These matter and topic are closed.

 

[Sombreuil]

She must be so fed up with the press - how will this play out in Russia - is there a sort of leadership role played by seniors as there often seems to be in Japan or are they less/not at all influential?

[katonice]

Interview with Alyona (continued under the spoiler tag)

Spoiler

 

 

[Deliverpooh]

 

Interview with our new Junior World Record holder (in the SP). She's too precious holding the Makkachin.

[Deliverpooh]

Daniil Gleichengauz posted two clips of Sasha doing 8 jumps in a row and then a quad (I think) in gala practice.

It's on his My Story on Instagram.

[kaeryth]

 

[katonice]

Some good news to balance out the bad a bit. Zhenya seems to be back training on ice. 

 

[sallycinnamon]

17 minutes ago, kaeryth said:

 

 

I was sort of expected this...but health comes first. Back problems are awful. I wish her the best!

 

7 minutes ago, katonice said:

Some good news to balance out the bad a bit. Zhenya seems to be back training on ice. 

 

 

Is she going to compete at Nationals too?

I'd like to hear news from official sources, not from Averbukh.

[katonice]

10 minutes ago, sallycinnamon said:

 

I was sort of expected this...but health comes first. Back problems are awful. I wish her the best!

 

 

Is she going to compete at Nationals too?

I'd like to hear news from official sources, not from Averbukh.

I'm not sure of that either. The only thing I got from this article is that Zhenya is back on the ice. Hopefully we'll hear something more concrete soon. 

[Mastyaeva]

Good news: today the commission of sportsmen of the Russian Olympic Committee published an official statement declaring the decision of the majority of sportsmen to compete in the Olympics. http://www.olympic.ru/news/news-russia/main/o-poziczii-rossiyskih-sportsmenov-po-zimnim-olimpiyskim-vidam/ 

We still have to wait the official statement of the Russian Olympic Committee itself. Tomorrow.