Russian situation puts added dimension on countdown to Rio

For all the superficiality of Olympic countdowns there is something touchingly real about the lessening of days, these little chimes for the athletes already consumed by Rio de Janeiro, or for those still dreaming of getting there.

In marking 100 days to go before the opening ceremony on Friday, August 5th, Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) president Pat Hickey also took note of a few still pending deadlines – not least the decision of the IAAF on whether or not Russia will be allowed into athletics events in Rio.

As of now they remain banned, the IAAF taking heed of the Wada Independent Commission report of last November, which suggested the 2012 London Olympics were essentially “sabotaged” by the “widespread inaction” against Russian athletes with suspicious doping profiles.

An IAAF task force has been on the case since then, and will make their final recommendation to the IAAF Council Meeting in Vienna on June 17th – coincidentally exactly 50 days before Rio. There appears to be a growing expectation the Russians will be there.

While Hickey wasn’t making any great statements either way, he did suggest that “Russia is a very big country” and “not every athlete is a cheater”. The decision, he says, is entirely up to the IAAF, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will merely abide by it.

“The IAAF are investigating that, under Seb Coe, as you know, and they have experts out in Russia,” said Hickey. The IAAF are meeting again on June 17th, and will make a recommendation then, to the IOC, whether the [Russian] athletes will compete or not. Because they are the ruling body. We don’t interfere with the internal workings of a ruling body.”

The process

Hickey wasn’t necessarily buying the claim the Russians “sabotaged” London, denying, in the process, Ireland’s Robert Heffernan his bronze medal moment in the 50km walk, only for the Russian gold medallist to later fail a doping test. (Heffernan is now due to be upgraded to bronze.)

“I wouldn’t agree that they (Russia) sabotaged the Games at all. What I do agree on is that we must protect the clean athletes in Russia. All athletes in Russia should not be branded as dope cheaters. Doping is like criminals in society. We will never eliminate it all. We will be guided by the IAAF and Wada and that’s the decision the IOC will accept.”

To date, 66 Irish athletes from 14 different sports have qualified for Rio, already the same number that competed in London, with the expectation that will rise over 80 come August, making it the largest Irish team in Olympic history.

Fionnuala McCormack, qualified in the women’s marathon for what will be her third Olympics, has been denied championship medals in the past by athletes who subsequently served doping bans: still her expectation too is the Russians will be in Rio.

“I think the only thing we can hope for this time is that they are clean. Because I can’t see how they won’t be there. If they ban them from athletics then what about the other sports? And I think the football thing is going to blow up very soon.

“The good thing is it has been exposed, and I know Irish athletes have been hammered in the past for only making semi-finals, or not coming home with medals, when in reality maybe those achievements are bigger than what they seem to be, because we’re up against something that’s not fair.”

Speaking of countdowns, Hickey also admitted his reign as president of OCI has yet to come to an end, despite suggesting in the past that London 2012 was natural end of the cycle: “Well I definitely won’t be president for Tokyo 2020. I was hoping to leave before Rio, but we’re now looking after the succession thing, so they’ve asked me to stay on until after Rio.

“I will continue as president of Europe, and the executive board of the IOC. We have a good succession in place, it will be decided at the next agm, but Willie O’Brien is the next incumbent, and after him, you could have someone like John Delaney. But you know elections in Ireland. Things can change.”

Political unrest

Despite the political unrest in Brazil, and worsening economic conditions, Hickey has no fear whatsoever of the Games not going ahead to the expectedly high standards.

“It is sad to see what’s happening, because the country is in turmoil, economically, and politically. But we have seen no affect whatsoever on the will of the people to host the Games. In fact, we, and I mean the IOC, feel the Olympics will help lift the spirit of the people, and I think the entire Brazilian nation will get behind it. We haven’t seen any protests, no opposition. I think for the spirit of Brazil it will be a great Games.”