Paul
Goble
Staunton, February 16 – While it is
certain to attract less attention than did Vladimir Putin’s bombastic claims of
athletic supremacy at the time of the Sochi Olympiad six years ago, the
International Biathlon Union yesterday disqualified two Russian athletes for
doping, stripped them the medal their team won, and cost Russia first place in the
national medal count.
To win medals, Moscow engaged in a
widespread, covert, and illegal program of doping in advance of the Sochi Games
and other international athletic competitions.
It has now been exposed and over time has lost many of the medals it
claimed at the time. And it is likely to lose even more in the future (mnews.world/ru/doping-lishil-rossiyu-liderstva-na-olimpiade-v-sochi/
and atr.ua/news/196238-rossiu-lisili-pervogo-mesta-v-medalnom-zacete-olimpiady-2014).
As a result, Putin’s great victory in 2014
just like the outcomes of many of his other projects has turned out to be
Pyrrhic or worse. Indeed, the actions he took to achieve it have cast a pale
over all Russian athletes including those who were not involved. And dispelling
that will take longer than it has for those who were to be found out and
punished.
Indeed, it is entirely possible that this
is a harbinger for Putin’s reputation as well. He may have impressed many by
his boldness and willingness to break the rules; but he and his country may
discover that over time, boldness isn’t enough and breaking the rules
ultimately if not quickly has unexpectedly negative consequences.
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