Three weeks before the start of the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, Russian sport received another blow from the IOC. The applications of 111 athletes were rejected, preventing them from even competing under the Olympic flag. the site explains how the stars of its eastern neighbors were left without the Games and why Russia does not dare to boycott PyeongChang 2018.
What happened to the Russian Olympians again?
As you know, Russia was not allowed to attend the Olympics in Pyeongchang, but “clean” athletes were offered to compete under a neutral flag. To do this, their federations need to send applications to the IOC. At the end of last week, the review of about 500 such applications was completed. 111 of them were rejected and the athletes did not receive invitations. Among them are a number of medal contenders: skier Sergei Ustyugov, short track speed skater Viktor An, biathlete Anton Shipulin, speed skaters Denis Yuskov and Pavel Kulizhnikov.
The list of inadmissible athletes includes hockey players, figure skaters, and bobsledders. The most seriously affected teams were cross-country skiing, biathlon, speed skating and short track speed skating. More than half of the athletes in these events received a refusal.
Ideally clean, according to the IOC, are the curling, freestyle and alpine skiing teams.
How did the IOC select athletes?
Group led by a chairman independent doping testing organization Valerie Fourneyron was guided by several criteria at once. So, athletes should not be disqualified or found guilty of any of the anti-doping rule violations (which is why speed skaters Yuskov and Kulizhnikov, hockey players Belov and Plotnikov were denied), should not be mentioned in the McLaren report (which is obvious, given the IOC's lifetime bans) and must meet the requirements necessary to protect the integrity of Olympic Games.
The last point does not seem clear, but Fourneuron has already explained what is at stake. The IOC must be 100% sure that the athlete is clean and does not violate the rules. This takes into account data from the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory, numbers from biological passports, testimony from anonymous informants, and complete information about compliance with anti-doping rules. For example, if doping officers decide to check an athlete, and his real location does not correspond to the one that the athlete indicated in the special ADAMS system, then the IOC is unlikely to trust him. Or if testing does not show the presence of prohibited substances, but the biological passport data shows abnormal deviations in the content of red blood cells, then this athlete also raises suspicions among the commission.
Only athletes with an ideal reputation received invitations to the Olympics. Even small doubts among members of the Fourneuron group put an end to the athlete’s prospects.
Russia explains this selectivity by political motives, the IOC - by the desire to be sure of the purity of the athletes of the Olympic team.
Why does any commission decide who will compete for Russia?
Not for Russia, but for the team of “Olympic athletes from Russia.” This is a very important clarification. By and large, this is a team overseen by the IOC. If athletes want to compete under the Olympic flag, they must meet the committee's requirements. And the IOC can set whatever conditions it wants, because, let’s repeat, this is their team.
Yes, the suspensions of Anton Shipulin and Viktor Ahn look strange, but Russia still has time to find out the reason for their exclusion and influence the group’s decision. Until January 28, the list is preliminary, not final.
Is the IOC deliberately suspending the strongest Russian athletes?
This is not entirely true. Yes, among those not invited there are obvious contenders for medals. There are about 10 of them. Plus several athletes from ski and biathlon relay races. The IOC did not approve the applications of 111 athletes, so it is quite logical that among them there are real tops. As for the athletes who are not competing for awards, officials and journalists simply did not pay attention to their names. Hence the erroneous feeling that only the elite were rejected.
For example, in biathlon only Anton Shipulin is one of the world leaders, but seven other shooting skiers of a lower level were not allowed to participate in the Games.
Anton Belov. Reuters The hockey team lost Sergei Plotnikov, Anton Belov, Valery Nichushkin, Mikhail Naumenkov and Alexey Bereglazov. The last two were not seriously considered by head coach Oleg Znarok, Belov was caught doping, Plotnikov violated anti-doping rules. Only Nichushkin remains, but his place on the team was not guaranteed either. At the same time, the IOC allowed all the leaders of the hockey team - Ilya Kovalchuk, Vadim Shipachev, Pavel Datsyuk, Vyacheslav Voinov and Nikita Gusev.
And most importantly: representatives of the Furneyron group did not know who exactly they were weeding out. All cases were considered anonymously, that is, without indicating the athlete’s name.
What can the Russian team count on now?
Of course, it is not possible to repeat the success of Sochi 2014, but the team will not be left without medals. Russia's position in figure skating is traditionally strong, where you can count on two or three awards. Freestyle skiers are having a good season; medals are possible even in curling and alpine skiing, which were recently exotic for the country.
Finally, in the absence of NHL players, bookmakers consider Russia the clear favorite for the hockey tournament. Their chances are estimated to be twice as high as those of last year's finalists - Canada and Sweden.
So the team of “Olympic athletes from Russia” may well bring about 10 awards from Pyeongchang.
Why doesn't Russia boycott this Olympics?
On the eve of the IOC, there were indeed calls for a boycott of Pyeongchang 2018. Moreover, even Vladimir Putin said that performing under a neutral flag is a humiliation for Russia. But gradually an opinion began to emerge, which is most clearly seen in the example of the head of the Russian Olympic Committee, Alexander Zhukov.
There are several reasons for this. First, the IOC made a nod to Russia by noting the country's name in the team name. This is an unprecedented case in the history of the Games. It’s one thing to be a neutral athlete, but quite another to be an “Olympic athlete from Russia.” Look at the hockey team's uniform. Isn’t it clear that this is the Russian team?
Secondly, an official boycott of the Olympics threatens expulsion from the IOC for a period of eight years.
It was possible to suggest that the athletes themselves refuse to participate, but, contrary to rumors, Russia did not agree to this.
However, we still need to wait for the list of invited athletes to be approved. The final version will be published by early next week. It is possible that it will bring new shocks to Russia.
Three weeks before the start of the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, Russian sport received another blow from the IOC. The applications of 111 athletes were rejected, preventing them from even competing under the Olympic flag. SPORT.TUT.BY explains how the stars of our eastern neighbors were left without the Games and why Russia does not dare to boycott PyeongChang 2018.
What happened to the Russian Olympians again?
As you know, Russia was not allowed to attend the Olympics in Pyeongchang, but “clean” athletes were offered to compete under a neutral flag. To do this, their federations need to send applications to the IOC. At the end of last week, the review of about 500 such applications was completed. 111 of them were rejected and the athletes did not receive invitations. Among them are a number of medal contenders: skier Sergei Ustyugov, short track speed skater Viktor An, biathlete Anton Shipulin, speed skaters Denis Yuskov and Pavel Kulizhnikov.
Pavel Kulizhnikov. Photo: schaatsen.nl
The list of inadmissible athletes includes hockey players, figure skaters, and bobsledders. The most seriously affected teams were cross-country skiing, biathlon, speed skating and short track speed skating. More than half of the athletes in these events received a refusal.
Ideally clean, according to the IOC, are the curling, freestyle and alpine skiing teams.
How did the IOC select athletes?
The group, led by the chairman of the independent doping testing organization, Valerie Fourneyron, was guided by several criteria. Thus, athletes should not be disqualified or found guilty of any violation of anti-doping rules (this is why speed skaters Yuskov and Kulizhnikov, hockey players Belov and Plotnikov were denied), should not be mentioned in the McLaren report (which is obvious, given the lifelong disqualifications of the IOC) and must meet the requirements necessary to protect the integrity of the Olympic Games.
Anton Shipulin. Photo: biathlonrus.com
The last point does not seem clear, but Fourneuron has already explained what is at stake. The IOC must be 100% sure that the athlete is clean and does not violate the rules. This takes into account data from the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory, numbers from biological passports, testimony from anonymous informants, and complete information about compliance with anti-doping rules. For example, if doping officers decide to check an athlete, and his real location does not correspond to the one that the athlete indicated in the special ADAMS system, then the IOC is unlikely to trust him. Or if testing does not show the presence of prohibited substances, but the biological passport data shows abnormal deviations in the content of red blood cells, then this athlete also raises suspicions among the commission.
Only athletes with an ideal reputation received invitations to the Olympics. Even small doubts among members of the Fourneuron group put an end to the athlete’s prospects.
Russia explains this selectivity by political motives, the IOC - by the desire to be sure of the purity of the athletes of the Olympic team.
Why does any commission decide who will compete for Russia?
Not for Russia, but for the team of “Olympic athletes from Russia.” This is a very important clarification. By and large, this is a team overseen by the IOC. If athletes want to compete under the Olympic flag, they must meet the committee's requirements. And the IOC can set whatever conditions it wants, because, let’s repeat, this is their team.
Reuters
Yes, the suspensions of Anton Shipulin and Viktor Ahn look strange, but Russia still has time to find out the reason for their exclusion and influence the group’s decision. Until January 28, the list is preliminary, not final.
Is the IOC deliberately suspending the strongest Russian athletes?
This is not entirely true. Yes, among those not invited there are obvious contenders for medals. There are about 10 of them. Plus several athletes from ski and biathlon relay races. The IOC did not approve the applications of 111 athletes, so it is quite logical that among them there are real tops. As for the athletes who are not competing for awards, officials and journalists simply did not pay attention to their names. Hence the erroneous feeling that only the elite were rejected.
For example, in biathlon only Anton Shipulin is one of the world leaders, but seven other shooting skiers of a lower level were not allowed to participate in the Games.
Anton Belov. Reuters
The hockey team lost Sergei Plotnikov, Anton Belov, Valery Nichushkin, Mikhail Naumenkov and Alexey Bereglazov. The last two were not seriously considered by head coach Oleg Znarok, Belov was caught doping, Plotnikov violated anti-doping rules. Only Nichushkin remains, but his place on the team was not guaranteed either. At the same time, the IOC allowed all the leaders of the hockey team - Ilya Kovalchuk, Vadim Shipachev, Pavel Datsyuk, Vyacheslav Voinov and Nikita Gusev.
And most importantly: representatives of the Furneyron group did not know who exactly they were weeding out. All cases were considered anonymously, that is, without indicating the athlete’s name.
What can the Russian team count on now?
Of course, it is not possible to repeat the success of Sochi 2014, but the team will not be left without medals. Russia's position in figure skating is traditionally strong, where you can count on two or three awards. Freestyle skiers are having a good season; medals are possible even in curling and alpine skiing, which were recently exotic for the country.
Finally, in the absence of NHL players, bookmakers consider Russia the clear favorite for the hockey tournament. Their chances are estimated to be twice as high as those of last year's finalists - Canada and Sweden.
Photo: Reuters
So the team of “Olympic athletes from Russia” may well bring about 10 awards from Pyeongchang.
Why doesn't Russia boycott this Olympics?
On the eve of the December IOC decision, there were indeed calls for a boycott of PyeongChang 2018. Moreover, even Vladimir Putin said that performing under a neutral flag is a humiliation for Russia. But gradually the opinion began to change, which is most clearly seen in the example of the head of the Russian Olympic Committee, Alexander Zhukov.
There are several reasons for this. First, the IOC made a nod to Russia by noting the country's name in the team name. This is an unprecedented case in the history of the Games. It’s one thing to be a neutral athlete, but quite another to be an “Olympic athlete from Russia.” Look at the hockey team's uniform. Isn’t it clear that this is the Russian team?
Secondly, an official boycott of the Olympics threatens expulsion from the IOC for a period of eight years.
It was possible to suggest that the athletes themselves refuse to participate, but, contrary to rumors, Russia did not agree to this.
However, we still need to wait for the list of invited athletes to be approved. The final version will be published by early next week. It is possible that it will bring new shocks to Russia.
On January 25, the Russian national hockey team, which will perform at the Olympic Games in Korea in a neutral status without a flag and anthem, will announce the composition for the trip to Pyeongchang. There is talk that 20-year-old CSKA forward Kirill Kaprizov, whose performance has recently dropped seriously, seriously risks being left out of the application. We remember other Russians who were not taken to the Olympics at the last moment.
A different story happened with Soin. Initially, he was on Bilyaletdinov’s list for a trip to the Olympic Sochi, but after an injury, Sergei’s place in the team was taken by Alexander Semin. According to the coaching staff, there was a preliminary agreement with Semin to call him to the team if necessary. This is precisely the need that has arrived. It turns out that Soin was not taken to Sochi at the very last moment, but for objective reasons. Unfortunately, Soin’s health problems continue to this day. This season at Lada he spent more time undergoing treatment than playing.
During the time they worked in the national team of Vyacheslav Bykov and Igor Zakharkin, the most experienced defender Sergei Zubov remained in Vancouver without the 2010 Olympics. The hockey player, after a long career in the NHL, returned to his homeland and defended the colors of SKA. The coaching duo decided that Zubov would not be able to strengthen the Russians at the Games. Later, Bykov and Zakharkin were criticized by the legendary Viktor Tikhonov. According to Tikhonov, Zubov, despite his age (39 years old at that time), still played great. Before the Olympics, the SKA defender was included in the reserves, but refused to go to Vancouver in this capacity.
The official lineup was announced. There was only one surprise - goalkeeper Maxim Sokolov, who ended up in the nearest reserve, did not make it into the starting lineup. In the end, it turned out that Maxim still flew to Italy, but Nikolai Khabibulin was unhooked at the last moment. The knee injury of the Chicago goalkeeper did not allow him to help the national team.
Today, January 25, the coaching staff of the Russian national team announced the composition for the XXIII Winter Olympic Games, which will be held in Pyeongchang from February 9 to 25. Let's figure out who didn't make it to the Games at the last moment.
25 hockey players against the lawlessness of the IOC. They will go to Korea to fight for Russia
Oleg Znarok announced the lineup for the Olympics.
n. Vladimir Tkachev
How good the 24-year-old forward was in the recent match between Ak Bars and CSKA! Two days ago it was impossible to imagine that with such a game Tkachev would remain out of the Russian team’s application. Yes, and we have had a shortage of center forwards lately. But Datsyuk, Shipachev, Prokhorkin, Andronov, Kablukov will go to Korea, and Kalinin and Grigorenko can also play in the center. Tkachev simply did not have enough space in the application; preference was given to the more versatile Prokhorkin. It is noteworthy that the Kazan forward is included in the list of the closest reserves and can be included in the lineup in the event of an injury to one of the main players.
n.
Another small sensation is the absence of Maxim Shalunov. “Army Man” participated in two stages of the Eurotour, and overall left a favorable impression of himself. The verdict for Maxim was the match with Canada at the Channel One Cup, in which Shalunov and a number of other players were confused under the pressure of the opponent. Character is almost the main quality that Znarok values. It wasn't enough for the 24-year-old forward.
n.
Throughout the entire season, Oleg Znarok was looking for partners for Kirill Kaprizov in the national team. There was no proper chemistry with Gusev. But the most obvious option was to reproduce the “army” link of Shumakov - Shalunov - Kaprizov. But the national team’s coaching staff stubbornly ignored Sergei. It’s no secret that Znark doesn’t like Shumakov’s play; he (unlike Shalunov) never wanted to see him in SKA, and doesn’t see him in the national team either.
h.
Znarok called the Avtomobilist defender to the Karjala Cup, but there Nikita was unable to show his best side and was then only invited to the Olympic team. Despite this, the choice of coaching staff is not at all obvious. Tryamkin, who returned from the NHL this season, looks no weaker than Khafizullin. But Nikita does not play for SKA or even CSKA. But he is only 23 years old, and, probably, the Ural resident will still have a chance to get to the Olympics.
h.
In the summer, the 39-year-old defender said that he also decided to return to Russia for the sake of the Olympics. At Ak Bars, Andrei immediately became the most productive defender. Markov has 31 points (5+26) in 53 matches in the KHL (the best figure in the league among Russian defensive players). Like everyone else, he had unsuccessful games, but there were still many more successful ones. However, Oleg Znarok did not call the veteran to any stage of the Eurotour, and Andrei was not on the extended list of the national team. They say that Markov is a difficult person who can easily ruin the atmosphere in the locker room. But he’s still a great defender. In a couple of weeks, we will find out whether the coaching staff of the Russian national team made a mistake in their choice.
Thank you for not putting pressure on Datsyuk. What lineup will Znarok scrape together for the Olympics?
Despite the lawlessness of the IOC.
n. Plotnikov, n. Nichushkin, z. Belov
By decision of the IOC, several Russian hockey players will not go to Pyeongchang. But Plotnikov, Belov and Nichushkin would definitely be in the lineup. Sergei is generally a loss for the Russian team. I immediately remembered the World Championships in Cologne. There he was not the top scorer, he was not the team captain, but it was difficult to imagine that Russian team without him. Now I have to. And it's a shame.
Big heart of a hungry team. Why Plotnikov is needed by the national team
Dmitry Erykalov explains why Sergei Plotnikov is needed by the Russian national team and is a symbol of the national team of the era of Oleg Znark.
Belov was captain at last year's world championship and, even despite his injury in the fall, was supposed to go to the Olympics. Nichushkin is not such an important player for Znark. The Sochi Olympics participant was balancing between the reserve and the fourth link. But he regularly received calls to the national team. However, now this is no longer important. They were driven past the IOC Olympics.
How did it happen that none of the hockey players from the strongest team of the 2017/2018 season plays on the Russian national team?
Kazan Ak Bars won the Gagarin Cup for a record third time in history. In the final series, Zinetula Bilyaletdinov's club confidently beat CSKA with a score of 4:1. The most surprising thing in this situation is that the newly won Gagarin Cup does not include a single Olympic champion. Those players who were literally smashed by Ak Bars went to Pyeongchang. How so?
Veterans are dragging
Was it really the legionnaires that pulled the Kazan club together? Yes, the winning goal, which became the only goal in the golden match, was scored by Canadian Rob Klinkhammer. Other legios also made significant contributions.
ners - Justin Azevedo, Jiri Sekac and Anton Lander. But this is where the list of Ak Bars foreigners ends, and they were not the real leaders at all.
Perhaps the main driving force of the Kazan team was the 37-year-old veteran Danis Zaripov. But before the start of the season, Zaripov’s career was hanging by a thread - he was accused of doping and disqualified for two years. But Ak Bars did not abandon the veteran; lawyers fought hard for the striker for several months and proved his innocence.
In November, the best sniper of last season returned to the ice, it would seem that this is great news for the Russian team on the eve of the Olympics. However, Znarok never called Zaripov to the team. The only explanation that can be for this fact is age; Zaripov is already 37 years old. But exactly the same amount goes to Magnitogorsk Metallurg striker Sergei Mozyakin, who made it to the national team.
Apparently, according to the same principle, another eminent veteran, who is still wow, Andrei Markov, was left without an application. He is even older than his colleagues Zaripov and Mozyakin - he is already 39. But if you look at the statistics, as part of Ak Bars he spent the most time on the ice per game - almost 22 minutes. In addition, Markov handed out assists left and right - 28 per season. However, Znarok stubbornly ignored the statistics.
Young shoots
Let's say the national team has taken a course towards rejuvenation, which explains the absence of Zaripov and Markov. But how can you not give one of the best snipers in the KHL, Vladimir Tkachev, a chance? The Znarka team included several forwards from the category of “promising”, but the 24-year-old striker, whose star had already risen and was shining with all his might, was left in reserve by the head coach of the national team.
Of the other young talents that should be on the team, it is worth highlighting striker Stanislav Galiev, who went overseas early, failed the season for Washington, and then returned to Kazan and played like never before. In terms of distributing scoring passes, young defenders Vasily Tokranov and Albert Yarullin are trying to compete with Andrei Markov.
Goalkeeper Emil Zaripov Photo: ak-bars.ru In addition, goalkeeper Emil Garipov, who was recognized as the main hero of the final match, has fully grown to the level of the national team. Moreover, Garipov claimed to be the most valuable player of the entire playoffs, stopping almost 95% of the shots thrown at him. His phenomenal statistics make him the main contender for a place in the starting team, but first he must at least get into the squad.
The Russian national team will no longer be prepared for the World Hockey Championship by Znarok, but by young Ilya Vorobyov. In this regard, there is hope that not only SKA and CSKA players, but also hockey players from other clubs will be able to get into the team. If the above persons are not included in the application, then conspiracy theories can be raised.