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Russia is banned from all Olympics and major international sports events for 2 years for the falsification of the Moscow anti-doping lab data.
Too mild, if you ask me.
Too mild, if you ask me.
Allowing RUS to compete in team sports as OAR is clearly silly and defeats the purpose. I thought 2018 was a good lesson, but apparently not. They stood there, defiantly bellowing out the national anthem and went to Moscow to be toasted by Putin, who ordered the doping program.
It's extremely obvious that Russia will not change its behavior. Gold medals are paramount to Putin's politics and he'd rather play the victim card and rile up hatred towards the evil, scheming West than have his athletes compete clean and take an L. These semi-bans DON'T WORK!
The only thing that could conceivably persuade Russia to change is a total, blanket ban. Not for 2 years or for 4, but until Russia can convincingly show it has terminated its doping program. Until the testing process is 100% transparent and run by non-Russians. Only then.
And this has to start with soccer, as country's No. 1 sport. This is the best way to get their attention. No World Cup, no Euro, no Champions' League. Nothing. A total ban, across the board. Soccer will work where hockey won't, because hockey isn't nearly as popular.
