Dark atmosphere. Less than three weeks before the opening of the Rio Games, the Olympic movement is supposed to show an impatient face. Instead, he exposes his divisions in broad daylight. At issue, once again, is Russia, the new bone of contention in international sport.
At the end of last week, certain media had access to a letter written and signed by two national authorities, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and the Canadian Center for Ethics in Sport (CCES). A letter sent to the IOC and its president, Thomas Bach. The two organizations are calling for the exclusion of Russia from the Rio Games. Russia in its entirety, its entire delegation, no longer just its athletics team.
The letter in question was to be sent this week, after the publication on Monday July 18 of the McLaren report on suspicions of massive doping by the Russian team at the Sochi Winter Games in 2014. Sent later, but written at advance. Suspicious timing, which does not pay much attention to the presumption of innocence.
“We write on behalf of a community of clean athletes and anti-doping organizations who trust the IOC to uphold the principles of Olympism,” reads the letter from USADA and the CCES. We demand that the IOC Executive Board take steps to suspend the Russian Olympic and Paralympic Committee from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. »
The approach is perplexing. Americans and Canadians took up their pens to ask the IOC to exclude Russia on the basis of a report not yet published. A North American approach which would have had the support of other national anti-doping agencies, notably German, New Zealand and Japanese.
Patrick Hickey (below) showed less restraint. The president of the Association of European Olympic Committees (EOC) did not appreciate the approach of the Americans and Canadians. The Irish leader was informed of the existence of the letter by an email from Beckie Scott, the president of the WADA Athletes' Commission. “There appears to be an attempt to agree on sanctions before any evidence has even been presented,” Patrick Hickey wrote in a statement. Such intervention, before the official publication of the McLaren report, is contrary to all principles of the right to a fair trial and could have completely undermined the credibility of this important report. This appeal is based on what these anti-doping agencies say are the findings of the McLaren report. It is therefore clear that both the independence and confidentiality of this report have been compromised. »
Same indignant reaction from Spyros Capralos, the president of the Greek Olympic committee, member of the EOC executive board: “It is very disappointing to discover that important actors in the Olympic movement are seeking to exclude from the Games another member of the Olympic family taking it in this sneaky way. The real victims of all this will be the athletes of all nations who aspire to fair and universal competition. »
Zlatko Matesa, the president of the Croatian Olympic committee, former Prime Minister of Croatia, also voiced his indignation, mixing his voice with that of his Greek colleague: “It is incredible to see that major players in the Olympic movement are trying to form a coalition to exclude a national Olympic committee, even before the publication of the evidence they are using. »
At the dawn of a crucial week for its Olympic future, with the publication of the McLaren report this Monday and the CAS decision on the appeal filed by Russian athletes on Thursday July 21, Russia has just discovered a handful of allies . She didn't expect it and no longer hoped for it. Americans and Canadians can bite their fingers.
