Russia Banned from 2018 Winter Olympics:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/07/sports/olympics/olympics-russia-doping.html
Discussion questions:
1. Should doping and the use of steroids be acceptable for Olympic games?
2. Is it fair that the Russian athletes that are allowed to compete must represent themselves with neutral colors under a neutral flag?
3. Are these punishments fair to the people of Russia who want to support and cheer on their home country?
I think that any use of illicit performance enhancing substances should be dealt with a heavy fist because for those athletes that don't dope, it is unfair to them. Sports were made with the intention of the best athlete with the best strategy wins, not so that people could dope and cheat there way to the top. I believe athletes who do take part in these banned activities should not be able to compete in the olympics but as in Russia's case that would not be able to find new athletes in time. I think that there punishment was fair and also a good warning for other athletes to make them rethink their judgment about taking performance enhancing substances. The people of Russia can't be mad because there contestants broke the rules and so this does not happen to other countries the Olympics needed to come down hard on Russia.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who uses any use of prohibited enhancing substances should be forbidden from participating in activities. It's unfair to the people who legitimately participate and abide by the rules of which ever activity they are a part of. Although I do believe any athlete who uses performance enhancing substances should be banned I do not believe that Russia should be banned from the Winter Olympics. Russian cannot be held accountable for the actions of the athletes, and shouldn't be banned because of them. I believe that it's unfair to the Russian athletes that are allowed to compete due to the fact that they aren't allowed to represent their own country but just representing themselves rather than Russia and the people of Russia. These punishments are fair to the people of Russia who want to support their country because they have to accept the fact that their athletes failed to follow the rules and therefore they aren't allowed to participate.
ReplyDeleteThe doping and use of steroids should not be acceptable in the Olympic games under any circumstances. Any person who participates in using performance enhancing substances have an advantage against the other members competing and they should be banned from taking part in any further Olympic activities. The explanation when excluding these players is simple: All players should be playing to their best ability trying to win for their home country, not cheating to win. With Russia's players eliminated, the punishment was a fit lesson taught to all dope users. It is fair that the Russian competitors must wear neutral colors to represent themselves under a neutral flag because it is a fair warning to all qualifying players who are said to not be doping that are participating in the games. Although there should be zero tolerance for drugs used to enhance your performance throughout the Olympic games, I do believe it was late notice for Russia's players and many of the teammates who were disqualified could have potentially been failed clean athletes. However, the punishment for the Russians rooting for their home team is fair because their players failed to follow the team rules and broke trust within their own coaches and teammates. It is not fair to cheat your way to the top and the disqualified players needed to learn a lesson and learn to play the fair way.
ReplyDeleteI have an odd mind when it comes to steroids. I really think that they must be entirely banned and done away with in the Olympics because the Olympics must be about open and fair competition and only those who work hardest must be awarded. These athletes are not “professional” in the sense that they are not directly paid for the Olympics. I see the endorsements and ads on TV and other places, but most athletes are not famous or rich. When it comes to things like pro baseball or football, I don’t even care. With paychecks like they get in pro sports, I might take steroids to hit the ball 500ft for a homerun too. A year of professional sports is enough money for generations of someone’s family to live off of and it changes things in my mind. Pro sports are like a carnival to me, but the Olympics seem like they should be innocent and more friendly and less polluted than pro sports.
ReplyDeleteI agree then with the author that the “back door” situation where some clean athletes from Russia get to compete is a really bad idea. I don’t think it gives enough incentive for some athletes not to cheat. If the entire team was hurt by cheating then people might consider staying clean knowing that their personal choice ruins it for all others. But if the clean ones can get in, then why not try and get around the rules? I think the author is right that the entire team being punished would get other teammates to tell on one another and the whole doping program because it would hurt all athletes and no one would compete. The punishment must be severe and entire or else the meaning behind it is lost.
As for all the people of Russia, it is easy for me to say because I’m not the biggest Olympics fan. I say the people should demand fair and honest athletes and if the team is banned so be it. The people then have failed to demand the right thing from their Olympic programs. I admit though that I could live without the Olympics because I get to see my favorite events outside of the games. I love the extreme sports of boarding and ski jumping and I can watch the Xgames if I want, so I’m not missing anything. Real Olympic fans might lose their minds, but then they should insist upon games and athletes who deal with training and recuperating naturally. Otherwise, soon the Olympics will be a carnival like pro baseball with people who do not look natural hitting balls into space. I’m almost used to hearing about cheating with drugs in baseball. We don’t want this kind of laid back mentality affecting the Olympics or it’ll be the Olympics of cheating or at least trying to get away with cheating.
I think doping is unacceptable in all types of sport. When people dope they are one totally disregarding the rules, but also it gives them an unfair advantage over their competition. Especially in the Olympics are being a little bit faster, or a lot bit stronger can make all the difference doping unevens the playing field. I believe the punishment dealt to the Russians fair. Honestly, if they had more time until the games they could of found more athletes. But Russia just had no time to find different athletes. The fact is that not having the honer of playing for your country, and watching your flag go up as you win a medal. Part of the honer of going to the Olympics is that you have the honor of representing your country, and the fact that the Russian athletes can't see or really play for their flag has to be killing them ,and their country. They lose all of their national pride when they can't see the Russian flags, or the uniforms on the athletes. So, I do believe that the punishments handed down to the Russians will really prevent this kind of thing from happening again .
ReplyDeleteI think that steroids should definitely be prohibited from sports, and that all athletes should be held accountable for their actions with regards to such substances. Not only are the athletes who dope disregarding the rules of the competition, but they are also being extremely unfair to all the other athletes who chose to stick to the rules. Steroids give athletes an unfair advantage on clean athletes and undermine the hard work that these athletes have put into this competition. While I do understand why Russia was not allowed in these Olympics, I do think it is a bit unfair to those athletes who chose to stick to the rules. Part of the glory of making it to the Olympics is representing your home country, and these athletes are not allowed to do so. However, this provides a bigger incentive to those athletes who chose not to cheat, as their actions are affecting not only themselves put their fellow athletes While the author seems to feel that this partial ban was not enough to send a strong message to all countries about the consequences of doping, I think it will have an impact on both athletes who dope and clean athletes as well. I think that this ban and the use of neutral athletes was the Olympic Committee's attempt to show the world that they were serious and to set an example. While it does stink for those Russian athletes who were clean, it was a necessary step that the Olympic Committee needed to take to keep steroids out of the Olympics. All in all, Russian athletes failed to follow the rules, so I feel that they should be punished. For the Russian people, they have to just deal with the ban, as it was their country's actions that caused the Olympic Committee to step in. They cannot blame anyone but their athletes, and they are just going to have to cheer for the neutral athletes this games.
ReplyDeleteThe use of doping should not be allowed in any sports especially in the Olympics because of how it takes away from the game and competitions they compete in. Doping has athletes that are gifted and enhances them to preform better than naturally gifted athletes who work hard, and break records. The purpose of the Olympic games is to display a country's talents and pride, but doping turns it into an unfair competition.
ReplyDeleteIt is fair that the athletes from Russia were allowed to compete under a neutral flag. The athletes that were allowed to compete in the Olympics weren't involved in the doping, so they should not be punished for the actions of their fellow teammates; Especially since the amount of time olympians put into training can add up to years , and the Olympics they compete in occur every four years. For some of those athletes this could be the only time they ever compete in one due to injury or age.
It was a fair punishment because they were caught doping, so they obviously should not compete against other athletes who hadn't. However, they allowed the athletes who weren't doping to compete, so the fans of Russia still had some of their athletes to root for.
I think the use of any type of drug should not be acceptable for the Olympic Games because it gives a player using them an advantage, and is therefore cheating. I think it is very fair that the Russian athletes got to compete under a neutral flag because after all, it wasn't the athletes under that flag that were caught doping, so why should they be punished? I think this was a fair punishment because the players that were caught doping were effectively cheating the olympics, and that should not be allowed under any circumstances if people want the olympics to be as fair as can be.
ReplyDeleteI think that steroids and other drugs should definitely be prohibited from sports and the Olympic Games. Any sport of doping in sports gives players and teams unfair advantages over other members. By partaking in these doping activities the athletes are cheating and should be held accountable for their choices to use the drugs. While the Russians had such an extreme punishment of not being able to participate representing their country, I think it was fair. In order for athletes and countries to understand the consequences of doping, there must be strict and reinforce the punishments. These athletes were still fortunate to be able to compete in the games however under the neutral flag, colors and uniform. With all of their training, and hard work it would not be fair to not allow them to not compete in the games. I think that these punishments were fair to the Russians whom supported their athletes knowing that they were participating in doping. The Russians must accept that the athletes did not follow the rules and aren't allowed to participate in the games. I think that the message was made clear that doping is not tolerated under any circumstances and you cannot cheat your way to the top.
ReplyDeleteDoping and the use of steroids should in no way be acceptable for the Olympic games. The games represent a competition in which the most naturally talented athletes compete, and that does not include those that achieved talent by using illicit substances in a direct effort to increase their performance. It makes the games unfair for the competitors that possess raw talent, and takes a lot of the relatability/diversity out of athlete’s styles. Beyond that, I fully think it is fair that the Russian athletes that are allowed to compete must represent themselves with neutral colors under a neutral flag because the doping campaign was carried out in some ways by the Russian government in an unfair effort to get an edge in the competition. In the article it states, “Russia later named about 170 of those athletes to its Olympic team, even though, technically, Russia is not allowed to have an Olympic team, because — remember — Russia is banned from these Olympics”. The country of Russia was banned officially from the olympics, for the antics of the higher powers. Those that passed the drug test and are there solely for having raw and worked-on talent should be able to compete in the olympics under no country name, and simply for themselves. The olympics is just as much a solo achievement sport for the athletes as it is for the countries, and those that stayed true to the rules should not receive criticism for competing. With this, I also feel that the “punishment” of having Russia banned is entirely fair to the people of Russia as they still are able to support and cheer the athletes competing as representative of their culture and heritage and growing up in their country, without necessarily supporting the wrongdoings of the doping campaign and the government. It is up to the people whether they would like to still cheer for the athletes or not, but it is all the more the same as you still get to watch athletes from your country who are naturally talented compete (aka every other country that doesn’t dope).
ReplyDeleteI think that steroids should not be acceptable. Athletes using steroids get a huge advantage. We see in all sports when athletes get caught with steroids there is a punishment.l I think that not allowing the athletes to represent there country is fair. They have to be mindful about the consequences that come with doping. Although these athletes are competing under a neutral flag Its not really a punishment. They still get to compete in the olympics. I think that athletes who cheat should not be allowed to take part in the olympics. As sad as it is for the people of Russia I think that it is completely fair to not let cheaters represent their country. I think by giving punishments it will now be clear that doping is unacceptable and that there will be consequences to these actions.
ReplyDeleteI think that any use of player enhancing drugs should never be acceptable for Olympic games, or any other sport for that matter. These drugs give an unfair advantage to athletes and are detrimental to clean athletes chances in winning. There have been many cases in which doping makes you better, faster, stronger, etc. It is frustrating as a viewer and player because so many athletes are doping and using PEDs in sports and getting away with it. I don’t think Russian athletes should be able to compete in the Olympics at all under Russia. Furthermore, I don’t think Russia should have been able to send any athletes to Pyeongchang. Russia wanted to show out for the Sochi games and completely cheated the system with the ADA. When they were confronted by the ADA about their cheating scandal, they assassinated people involved in the cheating (Icarus). Athletes competing under “Olympic Athlete from Russia” solves absolutely nothing and doesn’t punish Russia. At the end of the day, these are Russian athletes that are winning medals for their country, the difference is the flag they are competing under. Although unfair for the citizens of Russia, there should be no athletes representing their country. The federal republic government that is Russia failed its people and should face the consequences. I truly believe that Russia should be punished more severely.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Icarus is a great documentary on Netflix.
Steroids should definitely not be allowed to be used for the Olympics and there should be much stricter restrictions for the Olympics as compared to regular sporting events. The Olympics only occur once every four years and thus is much more important to the athletes that compete in it rather then a sporting event back in each athlete's respective home countries. The fact that the Russians that have been cleared to play must represent themselves with neutral colors and a neutral flag is quite controversial. I feel like this shouldn't occur because these athletes did not break any rules and thus should still be allowed to represent their country. These punishments are moderately fair as doping is a serious issue and there should be severe punishments. However, I believe that only the athletes that have actually used steroids should get punished rather than the entire country of Russia.
ReplyDeleteI think that using steroids undermines the olympics as a whole as being a fair event that all people can rally behind. The fact that any athlete from any nation would use steroids defeats the whole purpose of the games, and is not acceptable at all. I do think that if athletes who are accused can supply concrete evidence that they were not doping then they should be allowed in the games. The I.O.C could not completely ban Russia from the olympics because there would be backlash by excluding a significant nation in the world, taking the attention away from the events and placing it in controversy. I think that the decision that they made was the right call for the greater good of the olympics as a whole. Hopefully with more strict screening in the future for all nations to ensure doping on that scale cannot happen again. I think that the punishments are fair to the Russian people. The I.O.C is still called them athletes from Russia, so their nationality is not being taken away from them when they participate. Overall I think the actions and consequences are fair and kept the games running smoothly as if nothing happened.
ReplyDeleteI believe that using steroids for the Olympics is completely unethical. The Olympics are meant to bring the world together in a competitive, yet fun manner. Given that sports are considered to be 'the great equalizer regardless of race, nation, etc,' taking steroids completely defeats the purpose of the games. Those who do use performance enhancing drugs, however, are met with strict consequences. For example, Russian athletes were caught using steroids in the previous winter games, and they were punished by not being able to represent their country in the 2018 Olympics. These consequences are well deserved, though, since no country should be represented in the Olympics if their athletes decide to disgrace the games. While some may argue that these restrictions are unfair to Russians who want to support their country, it is essential that strict punishments are enforced so that integrity in the games can be upheld.
ReplyDeleteThere is no place for doping/steroid use in the Olympics. The Olympics is a prestigious event in which athletes from all over the world come together, and get the chance to fairly compete in athletic events to win and be honored by their country. However, we are a sports world and sports victory in the Olympics have become a source of nationalism and countries now will take every opportunity they can to get medals. If we allow doping in these games it just becomes an event of who can dope their athletes the most and work them the hardest. It will take away all the miracle Olympic moments that the who world cherishes and will cause harm to athletes.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Russian athletes were even lucky to compete in these winter Olympics. The New York Times article given to us would share the same opinion as I do. The author concludes the article by saying, “At an Olympics where there weren’t supposed to be any Russians, there is now a giant poster on the wall inside the main office for the team known as the Olympic Athletes from Russia, or O.A.R.” This still allows Russia to have a presence at these Olympics even though they destroyed the integrity that the Olympic committee is suppose to hold to such high regard. I do feel badly for those Russian athletes who competed fairly, but as a whole I do not feel bad for the punishment Russia received.
This punishment is fair. The athletes were still able to compete in the Olympic games and therefore the fans were still able to root for their favorite athletes. Even though the athletes weren’t allowed to play under the Russian flag and the nation anthem wasn’t played they still got a patriotic feeling with wins of the OAR.
In the case of the Russian doping scandal I believe the IOC handled it well. As of now steroids are a banned substance in professional sports. If athletes choose use these substances it gives them an edge over the competition making it unfair for the other athletes. I do find it slightly wrong that the Russian athletes that did not partake in these activities are being punished. The athletes not involved in the scandal have spent four years training for this prestigious event. For them not to be able to stand by their flag during this glorious time seems wrong. I also feel bad for the people of Russia. During these games they have to watch their country compete under neutral colors and a neutral flag. I know that when I watch the olympics and see an American medaling waving our flag, I get a sense of pride. The people of Russia do not have the oppurtunity to recieve the feeling I and others get when their country wins a medal in front of the entire world to see.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that doping/ steroid should be legal in any way for the olympics. The Olympics is all about who's the best at the events and if someone just takes steroids, that can ruin the game because it wouldn't be real. I do think that the Russians who are allowed to participate have to do it under a neutral flag because if a country brakes a rule I do not think they should be awarded in anyway. I think it is fair because they broke a really serious rule and also this can be shown of how extreme the Olympics go to make sure a country isn't doping up or using steroids.
ReplyDeleteDoping and the use of steroids should absolutely not be acceptable for the Olympic games. It is completely unfair for some athletes to put themselves ahead of others athletically without actually doing any work. On top of that, these athletes are harming their bodies in the long term in a way which can never be undone. It is completely fair that the Russian athletes who have been cleared to perform in the Olympics must compete under a neutral flag. Because the government ran the doping, they are being punished along with the specific athletes. Those athletes who did not dope are allowed to compete solely because they are not connected to the Scandalous Russian team. These punishments are fair to the people of Russia, because they are still able to cheer for those they care about, just not under the Russian flag. If the people of Russia truly cared about the people they cheer for, they would not let them harm themselves with these steroids.
ReplyDeleteThe usage of steroids and doping should be banned from every sports competition, especially for elite athletes participating in the Olympics. Any person who uses any sort of performance enhancing drug is automatically at an advantage over the athletes who go into that certain game clean. With that being said, I think it is fair to allow the clean Russian athletes to participate under a neutral flag in these Winter Games. The IOC needed to punish the athletes who did choose to use substances in order to make a point to the countries competing that the Olympic Games are fair competition and there are rules and regulations that must be followed. This punishment is absolutely fair because their country was penalized was breaking the rules and potentially putting their country at an edge, but the athletes who did not choose to take these substances are still allowed to compete at the games.
ReplyDeleteIn no way is the use of performance enhancing drugs acceptable in any kind of competitive sport, let alone the Olympic games. The Olympics are all about the demonstration of raw talent, and the use of doping affects that. The Russians had an edge with their use of PED's, supplied by the government, so it was only right that those involved were penalized. Since the government had such a big role in the scandal, I believe it was the right decision to have the clean athletes represent a neutral flag. It is unfair to ban them completely, because this is something they've dedicated their lives to. That being said, these athletes go to the Olympics to represent their country, and in this case, their country was at fault. No one is stopping the people of Russia from cheering on their athletes, but it is important that the Olympic Committee make an example of Russia, and demonstrate that the use of PED's is unacceptable.
ReplyDeleteDoping should never be acceptable in sports. The fact that some athletes have been able to somehow get away with it and that others think that they can get away with it is wildly absurd to me. In the case of the Russians, just imagine being totally clean and never even think about doping while you're training for years to represent your country in your sport at the olympics. Then, due to the actions of some people you don't even know, you're suddenly not allowed to participate in any facet? Yes, i think that the country should face some punishment, which they did. But, for those athletes, they should still be allowed to compete and under a neutral flag is a nice place in between. As for the people of Russia, yeah, I think it's an appropriate punishment for the athletes which trickles down to the people of their country.
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