Off Topic Russia face Olympic ban

If you have not seen it then this mornings Victoria Derbyshire programme on BBC2 it contains an interesting discussion on the Russia/doping situation. There are studio guests and linked guests, all of whom are worthy and well informed - it is well worth watching for a feel for how attitudes are changing now the dust is settling a tad - jump to 19 mins:

Victoria Derbyshire (she doesn't present as she is recovering from breast cancer)

or find it on BBC iPlayer

Edit: Try this

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06n6c43/victoria-derbyshire-13112015

 

News breaking now that the IAAF have suspended Russia.

 

Coe was probably the one.

 

I'm gonna need Castro to provide a definition of the word "unanimous".

 

Just noticed that.

Castro will flip.

 

Will this go to the Olympics or is it a token gesture?

My heart breaks for the innocents, those who have dedicated themselves to a sporting excellence. How very sad that we might have double-dopers, a double-ban athlete attending and competing when innocents will suffer the ban of their state.

If this is state sponsored cheating, then why isn't it dealt with by member states and not the representative body of all athletes? Once again sport and sportsmen and sportswomen are carrying the can for political inaction.

Very disappointed in this approach.

 

It's Twitter. You don't need to be educated or intelligent.

 

Token gesture I would expect. Russia should be banned for the next 5 olympic games and the athletes should receive lifetime bans. If they do it again the athletes should receive two lifetime bans.

 

There's too much going on tonight for your frivolous argument.

 

Definitely. Bigger things happening in France and Japan.

 

Agreed. Heard Martin Rooney just about calling Coe out over it all saying he must have known when he was vice president. Coe who refuses to step away from his ties to Nike.

 

Rooney lacks facts, so do I, so do you. Have you watched the Derbyshire discussion I posted earlier?

 

Rooney will know much more than we do I suspect. I haven't watched it yet but I will do.

 

If any bookie offers odds for Russia competing in Brazil then get on it. It'll be like buying money.

 

I don't understand why you would suspect that, as everything I have heard him say, talksport interview, etc., simply came across as someone in the sport with the same frustrations as you and I; I thought his early and candid opinion was poorly timed and lacked substance, other than a calculated emotion that seemed wrong. I sensed a softening of his approach more recently.

 

I think he like a lot of people suspect Coe knows a lot and has done very little.

 

I don't know if it is the case, but, perhaps, if political and legal constraints are allowed, this might be another way of phrasing your comment:

I think he like a lot of people suspect Coe knows a lot and could do very little. [Just like so many more who got paid to do it]

 

Bump

With the benefit of time for thought, have any opinions changed?

An interesting mix of response, Ennis-Hill wants her 2011 World Championship silver medal upgrading to gold, as does her coach , Toni Minichiello, who also says:

Is the ban really so clever?

Edit: link for those who can't get it