Putin organises his own Olympics for banned stars
Source: IOL
The Russian track and field athletes banned from this summer's Olympics in Rio next month competed in a makeshift tournament of their own, titled Stars 2016, in front of a modest crowd in Moscow consisting largely of family and friends. While many of the 150 competitors were not on the banned anti-doping list, 67 of them were after a Wada report opened the floodgates on a seemingly endless stream of damaging reports into state-sponsored doping.
Former Russian Anti-Doping Agency official Vitaly Stepanov recently said “there will be athletes who have used doping from Russia at Rio” but this was nonetheless an opportunity for those found guilty to showcase their talents on home soil.
The Znamensky Brothers Stadium, which usually stages the Moscow Championships, was the venue as excluded athletes including hurdler Sergei Shubenkov and high jumper Ivan Ukhov engaged in an act of defiance against the powers that be.
While many insisted to the contrary, spectators reported a strong sense of defiance and opposition against the decision to ban Russian athletes from the Olympics. “It should show that no matter how much pressure they put on us we are ready to fight and run further,” said sprinter Pavel Ivashko. “They didn't break us."
Read more: http://www.iol.co.za/sport/putin-organises-his-own-olympics-for-banned-stars-2051296
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