Banning Nations for Doping

[RobbieCanuck]

In today's New York Times - "The World Anti-Doping Agency is considering a blanket ban on countries whose athletes regularly dope, said its president, Craig Reedie. Reedie told CNN that such a deterrent could be “a pretty blunt instrument” in the war on drugs but that he was waiting on a report from his independent commission before deciding whether to push forward with the strategy."

Have at it boys and girls - will this work?

 

[42x16ss]

It will work.



At assisting with UK domination Eastern Europe and Mediterranean nations to receive multiple doping violations *just* in time for Rio.

 

[Archibald]

more incentive for the national agencies not to catch their athletes

 

[No_Balls]

Re:

This strategy without remorse would end up in how football championships was in the 30ies with just four participants. But who would UK line up against? Of course clean power houses like USA, Russia and China. They need money after all.

This strategy in this world would see the likes of Fiji banned.

It will work.



At assisting with UK domination Eastern Europe and Mediterranean nations to receive multiple doping violations *just* in time for Rio.

This.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Sounded to me like Reedie need some consulting time with UKAD to make sure there weren't too many "in process" positives back home in the UK before he started pushing this wheelbarrow.

 

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Sounds like brain fart if you ask me.

Vicarious sanctions of this order need to be based on much more than this sort of multi-individual transgression. It would need to be the result of uncovering clear state sanctioned doping programs, and be sport specific. Why should Chess players be banned for doping athletes? (Chess is a signatory to WADA code, so presumably all WADA signatory sports are included)

Ban a country because they are poor and can't really afford anti-doping necessary to stop their athletes doping, who often live and train elsewhere in the world anyway? Heck even rich nations can't do this. Or penalise some countries because those wealthier better informed athletes are better at flying under the doping radar?

 

[doperhopper]

Re:

more incentive for the national agencies not to catch their athletes

Spot on! Mafia yet again concerned about THE IMAGE of their business, especially knowing what's coming once they really start serious retesting. Of course, not gonna happen, only selectively, to support certain political goals. We know you are all guilty and we can bust anyone at will, so better behave. Now imagine some national officials stand up and want reforms, or anything against central mafia... would they risk nation-wide ban? Verdruggen/PhatPat ripping off their hair they haven't invented this lovely nuclear bomb themselves.

 

[Catwhoorg]

Re:

more incentive for the national agencies not to catch their athletes

Agreed 100%

It sounds good at first hearing, but in the end look at the behaviour that will be encouraged.
Making sure home grown athletes are "seen to be clean" would be one of them.

Rampant aggressive testing over overseas guys who set foot in your nation could be another.

 

[fmk_RoI]

The timing of this is the important thing, coming as it does after one media outlet claimed Reedie had told Russia that they would not be punished, effectively pre-judging Pound's report before it is written.

On the issue of banning nations: if you accept that the UCI can ban teams, then why not ban nations?

 

[TourOfTexas]

Why not ban planets?

 

[Dear Wiggo]

I'm banning the universe from professional sport. Done.

 

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Re:

I'm banning the universe from professional sport. Done.

Sounds good. Then we just need to deal with amateur sport doping.

 

[blackcat]

Re:

I'm banning the universe from professional sport. Done.

I am banning God and atheists from sport,

but they are allowed to play chess and they can play bridge to their hearts content as long as it is with Bob Hamman of SCA Promotions.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Re: Re:

I'm banning the universe from professional sport. Done.

Sounds good. Then we just need to deal with amateur sport doping.

Tragic :-(

 

[William H]

Re:

more incentive for the national agencies not to catch their athletes

If they were smart they could set things up to avoid that. Allow nations a free pass for athletes that they catch, only sanction them for those who are caught by someone else.

I think the Olympics should adopt a similar attitude towards sports - if you're catching dopers yourselves, then you're fine, but if there are a whole bunch of positives at the Olympic games then the sport should be punished by having some or all of it's events suspended.

 

[Catwhoorg]

Re:

The timing of this is the important thing, coming as it does after one media outlet claimed Reedie had told Russia that they would not be punished, effectively pre-judging Pound's report before it is written.

On the issue of banning nations: if you accept that the UCI can ban teams, then why not ban nations?

The problem is how much you are potentially punishing the innocent along with the guilty.

Lets talk rugby say, as its well known to be a pet peeve of mine and with lots of positives right now. It is also once again an Olympic Sport (in the form of 7s).

A swimmer, a track athlete, a yachtsmen, a rifle man or an archer, have just how much influence over a rugby players choice to dope or not to dope ? You have so many governing bodies, that even if some truly are serious about anti-doping, they are going to be caught in a crossfire.
It wouldn't take much for someone to win a CAS appeal in the case of a blanket ban

Now if they ban certain countries for certain events rather than a blanket ban on nations, that may get more traction.

Two or more national level players in rugby popped, then lose the ability to qualify.
(It would have to be national players, or some formulae based on the number of players active. Two players popped in say Fiji is such a different proportion to two in England or New Zealand)

 

[Dear Wiggo]

They already do this. IOC have threatened to kick sports out of the olympics many times.

 

[MarkvW]

We can Jamaica it work!

 

[MarkvW]

The Olympics will never ban money. Drugs follow money.

 

[Andynonomous]

Clearly some nations do a better job than others to discourage doping. Some nations seem to actively encourage doping. In theory, it sounds like a reasonable initiative to ban the worst of those nations.

However, if you tried to punish those nations that are doing a poor job at outing their own dopers, you would end up in a massive political mess, that no one is going to have the balls to fight (especially Reedie).

I wonder why Reedie is proposing this ? He was elected by the sports federations BECAUSE he was week on doping. Most of his follow-up statements have reinforced this belief that he is there to protect the corrupt sports federations (like "racket sports are not conducive to doping, because they are skill-based").

I suspect that he has some hidden agenda.

 

[Brullnux]

wow that's stupid. We should celebrate the nations who have positive athletes for finding them, and make the IOC give federations money for every doped athlete.

 

[Andynonomous]

Re:

and make the IOC give federations money for every doped athlete.

I hope that you mean "and make the IOC give federations money for every doped athlete that they catch"

 

[mrhender]

https://www.wada-ama.org/fr/media/nouvelles/2015-08/wada-statement-on-nation-bans

WADA Statement on ‘Nation Bans’

There has been significant public interest lately on the topic of proposed ‘nation bans’ for anti-doping organisations that are non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code.

WADA would like to clarify that, as outlined under Article 23.6 of the Code, the only penalties that the Agency can exercise as it relates to non-compliant signatories are ‘forfeiture of offices and positions within WADA’. It has no jurisdiction over potential ‘Nation Bans’.

Under Article 23 of the World Anti-Doping Code, if WADA declares a country non-compliant, this information is reported to the sports movement and UNESCO; and, it is for them to decide on the consequences of non-compliance. The IOC's Olympic Charter states that the IOC is 'entitled to exclude from the programme any sport, at any time, if the relevant International Federation governing such sport does not comply with the Olympic Charter or the World Anti-Doping Code.'

It should be noted that, at present, there are no signatories that are formally deemed non-compliant with the Code. The Agency does however continue to work collaboratively with all signatories to improve their anti-doping programmes so that consistent, quality, anti-doping programs are in place for the protection of athletes worldwide. And that, compliance will be a priority item on the agenda of the next Foundation Board meeting to be held in November.

 

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Re:

They already do this. IOC have threatened to kick sports out of the olympics many times.

Have they ever followed through?

Imagine the Olympics without track and field.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Re: Re:

They already do this. IOC have threatened to kick sports out of the olympics many times.

Have they ever followed through?

Imagine the Olympics without track and field.

Sports always comply!

I didn't know track and field are at the Olympics.