And doping again.
Russian figure skating star Valieva has been convicted of doping. A pretty clear announcement, about which nothing is probably surprising, not even the nationality of the sinner. The whole protracted affair has several tragicomic illustrations. One important circumstance is the age of the athlete, namely fifteen (she will turn sixteen in April). To what extent does a person of that age have the capacity to fully recognise the risks of irresponsible behaviour? To what extent is he or she subject to the procedures and mechanisms that govern the entire training process? And to what extent, if any, can he or she defy them? Moreover, in Russia. On the other hand, it is absolutely indisputable that the defence put forward cannot be acceptable, because if it were, it would be used successfully by everyone. The story about the grandfather's accidentally taken heart medication may be amusing and look like a hastily cobbled together excuse at school, but it cannot change the fact that the full responsibility lies with the athlete or her legal representatives. In considering the whole case, one cannot ignore the quite peculiar status of the Russian Olympic athletes, symbolised by the acronym ROC (Russian Olympic Committee) - please do not confuse this with 'Republic of China'. This unique entity is difficult to defend, perhaps only by trying to help those athletes who have nothing to do with the doping culture of their own country. Despite possible good intentions, we are witnessing extra-bursts that have a bitter aftertaste and a criminal history to boot. It has been proven that the Russian secret police arranged the exchange of urine samples from Russian athletes during the Sochi Winter Olympics, as confirmed by one of the direct actors, Grigory Rodchenkov, the director of the Russian anti-doping laboratory. A whole sophisticated system of state-controlled doping has been uncovered. There is always someone who would like to play by their own rules and favour themselves, and it is often not easy to figure out who it is. In this case, however, it is obvious who it is. Yet the solutions adopted are incomplete, cautious and vague. The toothlessness and inability of the relevant authorities to recognise, describe, detect and adequately punish unfair and dangerous behaviour is obvious, and athletes, officials and fans have no choice but to shrug off the resulting decisions and add another black mark to the sport.
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