Should Russia be allowed at the Olympics?

[Bishop149]

But, we can't just assume that most athletes are cheating.

Unless it's road cycling obviously

Must admit my first instinct here is:
"Oh FSS, it's only a bunch of people playing some games why does anyone take it so bloody seriously"
But, assuming you do think that sport matters in the slightest. . .

The biggest thing that surprises me about the whole affair is the apparent direct influence of the Russian state in the process of collecting and testing the samples.
I would have naively assumed that all sample collection and testing would be carried out by an independent body which was subject to multiple levels of hefty oversight.

[Memnoch]

I think Russia should be there, but their cheating athletes should not i.e. if they have been caught recently or in the past they should not be allowed. If they are clean and have no history of cheating then let them attend.

[Ketraar]

I think Russia should be there, but their cheating athletes should not i.e. if they have been caught recently or in the past they should not be allowed. If they are clean and have no history of cheating then let them attend.

The point is though that the organization that check if anyone is cheating is rather dubious and no one can actually tell which Russian athletes are cheating and which are not as John Oliver explained in this video

MFG

Ketraar

[mrbadger]

It's rather depressing really. Athletes who are, I'm sure, pressured into taking drugs having their Olympic dreams wrecked by state intervention.

But by the same token, really unfair for people who would otherwise have gained medals cheated out of them.

It's not a problem with a simple fair solution.

[fiksal]

I am sure Russia can come up with athletes who arent juicing.

Yeah, and we can come up with honest politicians. Good luck with that

It's a big country. Someone can be found if the country wouldnt spend all its energy defending those who juiced

[Memnoch]

I've always wondered what it would be like if someone said "Sod it! Let's just have the Olympics Unlimited!". Any and all chemicals, supplements, steroids etc. would be allowed. But athletes would only be able to enter this and no other competitions. Only things that wouldn't be allowed perhaps would be genetic engineering, like an athlete with kangaroos legs, or mechanical augmentation like rockets, wheels etc.

I present the winner of...probably everything.

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/bat ... 1115213055

[fiksal]

Only things that wouldn't be allowed perhaps would be genetic engineering, like an athlete with kangaroos legs, or mechanical augmentation

(serious hat on and serious mode on)

well, if you do that, why not allow mechanical/artificial body parts too? You could replace bad joints on strong athletes and have them compete for longer, for example.
Anyone in football/soccer or hockey may appreciate a few reinforced parts.


I think I am on the side of people who think - allowing this would eventually remove all sort of sense from the Olympic games / sports. (Whatever that "sense" might even be)

[Memnoch]

True enough, which is why I suggested it would be two separate competitions. It wouldn't be the first time in sports where there are two separate competitions in the same sports. For instance, men and women are often separated and cannot compete head to head. It would be a little unfair to allow a regular athlete compete against someone who has the physique of a comic book super villain!

[fiksal]

True enough, which is why I suggested it would be two separate competitions. It wouldn't be the first time in sports where there are two separate competitions in the same sports. For instance, men and women are often separated and cannot compete head to head. It would be a little unfair to allow a regular athlete compete against someone who has the physique of a comic book super villain!

(serious hat is still on)

This has the danger of devolving into gladiatorial fights, where athletes exist only for competition / entertainment, much more than they do now.

(serious hat off)

- Tonight's the ultimate football destruction olympic sudden death illimination games are sponsored by
... the Utimate Roid, it's what the plants crave!
as well as by ... Athletic Rage, steroids on roids!
and by ... Snapple!

[notaterran]

I've never been in professional sports, but from my experience in college I consider it very naïve to think that pro sports have any credibility. If the amateurs are juicing, what can we expect by adding the pressure of sponsors, big contracts and high-maintenance gold diggers to the mix. Don't get me wrong, athlete's wives can be very entertaining but they're also expensive!

[felter]

My Dad was banned from the Olympics many years ago, just because he accepted a bow from a manufacturer and they classed him as a professional athlete for doing so and banning him from the Olympics for it. Nowadays they are all sponsored, accepting goods from watches, to hair care products and breakfast cereals, and taking drugs and cheating to go along with that.