The decision of the International Olympic Committee to ban well-known Russian sportsmen uninvolved into any doping stories from participation in the Winter Olympics was called idiotic by many western mass media sources, RIA Novosti informs.
As we wrote before among such sportsmen are biathlete Anton Shipulin, short-track speed skater Viktor Ahn and cross-country skier Sergei Ustyugov. German edition Handelsblatt has stated that it has become a real shock and serious blow for Russia. The newspaper has emphasized that these sportsmen have never been spotted in any doping scandals.
French newspaper Ski-Nordique has criticized the IOC too, stating that the Committee has banned the sportsmen giving no evidence at all. Authors have remarked that some athletes from Anglo-Saxon countries have so-called therapeutic exceptions and are preparing for the Olympics anyway.
Finnish newspaper Hufvudstadsbladet believes that prohibition of the Russian leading sportsmen to take part in the Winder Olympics is a foolish decision. The author thinks that the decision is groundless.
General Secretary of Sports Ethic Center of Finland Harry Syuvyasalmi called this decision idiotic. He is surprised that the IOC is reluctant to reveal the criteria of selection it used. Sportsmen should understand why they were banned and the rest of the world should understand it too.
The Russia’s national biathlon team coach German Ricco Gross has claimed that this looks like an abuse of power. He supposed that it has some political motives.
World-known biathlete Simon Fourcade is sure that it is not right to tar all with one brush. In his opinion, he would feel underprivileged in boots of Anton Shipulin.
Russkiy Mir
