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IOC President Thomas Bach Orders Rethinking Of Global Antidoping Efforts

IOC President Thomas Bach yesterday acknowledged that the current structure of global antidoping efforts is "rife with conflicts," and in response he has "ordered a complete rethinking of it," according to Rebecca Ruiz of the N.Y. TIMES. Bach said, "We want to make the antidoping system independent from sports organizations." Ruiz notes WADA is "jointly funded by national governments and sports organizations, including the IOC." WADA's decision makers "are government and Olympic officials, people who might not be inclined to reveal doping transgressions that could mar the integrity of the Games or discredit athletes from their countries." Bach "called on WADA to strengthen its investigative abilities." Bach said that an Olympic summit meeting set for Oct. 8 "would focus broadly on how to improve the antidoping system, and he called on WADA to convene an international meeting on the topic next year." Bach "suggested amending a key detail of the ruling against Russian athletes." But Bach added that Russian athletes who "cleared that high hurdle could possibly compete under the Russian flag, and he defended the integrity of Russian Olympic officials" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/22).

OPPORTUNITY WASTED: USA TODAY's Nancy Armour writes the "only way to see the IOC's proclamation" yesterday that Russian track & field athletes who can prove they are clean to compete at the Rio Games will be allowed to do so under their own flag is that the governing body "caved." It "may seem like a small thing," but the message it sends "is a powerful one." A "chance for accountability turned into appeasement" (USA TODAY, 6/22). In DC, Matt Bonesteel wrote under the header, "Ban On Russian Track And Field Athletes At Rio Olympics Just Got More Confusing" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 6/21). USA Today’s Christine Brennan said, “It's going to be confusion. I've covered the Olympics for 32 years. I've never seen anything like this where six weeks out from the Rio Opening Ceremonies and this could be a situation where we won’t know who is marching in under the Russian flag or the Olympic flag in terms of track and field athletes from Russia until they march in.” This is a “battle right now we're seeing between” the IOC and the IAAF.” Brennan said “there is no doubt” that Russia President Vladimir Putin “has a voice and has a say within” the IOC. They have “left the door open a crack, and that is all because Putin bailed them out two years ago” (“NewsHour,” PBS, 6/21).

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