Russian Athletes Penalized Further
The Winter Olympics have come to a dramatic end in Pyeongchang, as the Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR) take gold in Men’s Ice Hockey, and are denied the chance to march under their own flag in the closing ceremony.
Last night, the OAR, as they have come to be known, faced off against Germany for the gold medal in Men’s Hockey. This was a fight that would gain Russia their first gold in hockey since 1992. The match was one that many did not expect to see, as many Russian athletes were banned from the Olympics early on due to the doping scandal that many of them were caught up in. However, after much investigation, the Russian athletes who were cleared of the charges were allowed to compete, but without wearing their country’s colors. This ruling, decided by the International Olympic Committee, is seen by many as highly unfair to athletes who have spent years of their lives, if not their entire lives, training for these events. Though the ban was justified in the case of the Olympians who were confirmed to be doping, what of the athletes who were perfectly clear? Is it not unjust to prevent an entire nation from competing in the Olympics because only a portion of their athletes have broken the rules?
Regardless of how unjust the ruling was, the ruling was made and Russia was banned. The athletes who did participate were forced to participate under a different name, and were not allowed to wear their nation’s colors. Through all of this however, they fought and won. The medal in Men’s Ice Hockey was the second gold for the OAR, their first being in Women’s Singles Figure Skating. In addition to the two gold medals, the Olympics Athletes from Russia won six silver and nine bronze.
At the conclusion of the Olympic Games, the athletes from every nation march in the closing ceremony under their flag, as they did in the commencement ceremony; everyone but the Russians, that is. It was decided by the IOC at the very last minute to deny the Russian athletes the right to march under their flag during the ceremony. This decision sparked more controversy amongst those who believed that the punishment had gone far enough for the Russians. It almost seemed as though the IOC wanted to get in one last jab before the games ended. To many, the Russians had been punished enough already, and lost their shot at winning before the games even began. To others, the decision was perfectly consistent with earlier penalties, and it would have been out of line for the Russians to be in full regalia in the closing ceremony.
Though the doping caused Russia to be severely penalized and almost put out of the Olympics altogether, they still sent a few competitors who did well for their country. While it is unfortunate that the athletes thought they had to stoop to such a low level in order to perform, this scandal will hopefully shake the Russian athletic programs. It will be interesting to see how Russia builds back from this at the next winter Olympics.
