IOC Enlists Court of Arbitration for Sport to Rule on Doping Bans

Not necessarily directly related to events on the ground in Sochi, but an interesting story nonetheless.  The Court of Arbitration for Sport (yes, it is exists; no, you can't visit) was entrusted by the IOC to decide the fate of athletes serving doping bans between Olympic Games. 

The issue: A relatively new IOC rule (just prior to the 2008 Bejing Games) that bars athletes who serve a doping ban for more than 6 months from competing in the next Olympic Games. 

The IOC says this rule is pivotal in its fight against doping, acting as a strong deterrent.  The IOC's medical commission and the IOC cited the propensity of National Olympic Committees shortening athletes' drug suspensions so they could compete in upcoming Olympic Games.  Critics, however, say that, whatever the benefits to the IOC and its public relations machine,  the restriction effectively punishes athletes twice for the same offense.  After all, what's the point of training and competing in every other event leading up to the Games if you're not invited to the prom?

Take the case of Olympic swimming hopeful Jessica Hardy:  Essentially, Hardy failed a drug test in the weeks prior to the 2008 Games for taking clenbuterol, a banned weight-loss drug, and was suspended for two years as a result (and, obviously, removed from the US swimming team).  Hardy was able to convince the IOC that she inadvertently ingested the drug in an over-the-counter supplement and her ban was subsequently reduced to one year.  This was obviously a blow to Hardy but, if nothing else, wouldn't necessarily derail her training for the 2012 Games in London.

Except, if you've been paying attention dear reader, this new IOC rule means that, despite her suspension ending a full three years before the summer of 2012, Hardy would be ineligible because her ban was more than six months long.  Now Hardy got herself a partner in LaShawn Merritt, an American and the men's 400m champion in Bejing, who was suspended for 21 months in 2009 for doping (though, in fairness, his suspension was for a banned steroid found in ExtenZe.  And by 'in fairness,' I meant that this is totally hilarious. 

So Hardy, Merritt and Merritt's dong got themselves a lawyer and have been wailing, gnashing their teeth and pounding their heads against the wall that is the IOC appeals process.  See, you probably thought that you or us or the world or the athletes laid claim to the Olympics or that it somehow belonged to the world community and the IOC were mere caretakers.  Wrong.  The IOC owns the Olympics and don't you forget it.  And so Hardy and Merritt pleaded with the IOC for some time and the IOC ultimately ruled that it wouldn't hear the appeals until the athletes actually made the US Olympic team which, owing to the proximity of the trials to the actual Games, would likely be an impossibility.  For its part, the IOC says that the fact that the US selects in Olympic team the way it does is not a problem for the IOC and that these US athletes, like all other athletes in the world, are welcome to appeal the Court of Arbitration for Sport or pursue whatever legal avenue they like once they make the team.

Hardy and Merritt's attorney took their case to a US arbiter, which ruled that the IOC rule violated the World Anti-Doping Code (I'm thinking specifically Article 13.2.2, but that's just me), to which the IOC is a party and could result in mounting legal costs, etc to the USOC.  Also, it could create some kind of nightmare legal logjam involving a number of potential late appeals, US law, Swiss law (where the IOC headquarters is located) and so on. 

Which brings us to today and the revelation that the Court of Abitration for Sport will likely hear the case in the next few months, providing hope to these athletes that their status for 2012 will be sorted out well before the London Games start. 

Finally, part of the reason that the IOC is so loathe to change the way drug suspension are handled (as I alluded to earlier) is the perceived effectiveness of this new rule in discouraging potential drug cheats at the actual Olympics themselves.  To wit, there were zero, yes ZERO, positive drug tests reported by the IOC in Vancouver.  That's over 2,500 athletes and not a single reported positive test.  Which means one of two things: Either every athlete was on the up and up in Vancouver OR overtly harsh rules give the IOC more cover and plausibility in covering up positive tests at the Olympics.  The number of positives certainly seems, and has long-seemed, improbably low and the IOC has long had a vested interest in protecting the Games from positives (see the allegations against Carl Lewis in 1988, as well as tons of speculation and assertions from longtime Olympic coaches that drug use has long been rampant).  If you make the rules tough enough on paper, does that make the public, media and sponsors less likely to question the absence of any positive tests at the Games?

Sochi.ru Reveals "Look of the Games"

What, you didn't know that the 2014 Winter Games had an official look?  Hear me now and believe me later.  From Sochi.ru:

At the heart of the Look of the Games concept design lies the principle of the "patchwork quilt" - a combination of 16 designs representing the most famous traditional Russian arts and crafts, ranging from Gzhel to Khokhloma. The Look of the Games concept is the visual embodiment of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games philosophy and is intended to express the character of modern Russia whilst at the same time introducing guests from all over the world to traditional Russian hospitality.

So, uh, that's what it is.  Feel free to read the article further if you really like being confused or you love reading Rhetoric 101 papers about symbolism in "The Heart of Darkness;" lines like "it [the look] portrays emotion and moderation, tact and expression; in short - the Russian character that is inherent in every resident of the host country."   I'm serious; there's a full description of all 16 designs if you click that link, so caveat emptor.  And if you really get off on pain, here's a site that'll talk to you about the Olympic look all the way back to Lillehammer in 1994. 

I've written in the past about Olympic sponsors (and I'm too lazy to link to them), so it should be known that Bosco Sport, a Russian sport apparel manufacturer, is the proud sponsor of the look of the Games.  Bosco Sport, which is part of a larger consortium, has a motto (The Beauty of Success) and the exclusive rights to outfit all Russian Olympic and Paralympic teams and has since Salt Lake in 2002.  I've been unable to locate exactly how much Bosco is paying to sponsor the look but, suffice it to say, I'm sure it ain't cheap. 

And if you still want to get in on the action, well I'm happy to report that it's not too late.  Sochi.ru is still taking on partners so, if you know someone who'd like to be the official confectionery of the 2014 Olympics, the time is now. 

"A Solid Weather Programme"

That's what they got, says Dimitri Chernyshenko, discussing Sochi 2014's to get out in front of the likely challenge from Sochi's Mediterranean climate to having, uh, snow on the ground in 2014.  Snow will likely be very important to the overall success of the Games, so Chernyshenko hopes to avoid having to fly and truck in snow as happened in Vancouver.  What's the plan?  Why, "hot snow programme," of course:

He [Chernyshenko] said that their "hot snow" programme would provide reliable snow cover in Sochi even at temperatures of up to +15 degrees.

Mr Chernyshenko said the organisers hoped to store enough snow from the previous winter season in case February 2014, when the games are being held, should prove to be unusually warm.

And as well as storing snow for a year, Sochi 2014 also hopes to make use of a number of scientific measures to boost the quality and volume of snow that they need.

One will be to use a chemical additive to improve the bonding quality of the snow.
"Another is to make powder from ice, to create additional snow when needed," said Mr Chernyshenko, a native of Sochi.

 The real enemy, of course is rain; that's what made the skiing conditions so brutally difficult in Vancouver.  That's ok, because what I didn't quote is the fact that the Ministry of Defence has "technology to dissolve rain clouds."  Forcible climate change;  only in Russia...

Malkovich in Russia

That's right, the John Malkovich as something like the guest of honor at the 11th annual Sweet Cherry Forest Open Arts Festival, held in Moscow.  As you undoubtedly already know, this is all part of the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad Year of the Theatre.  What's that, you ask?  Well, from Around the Games:  

The project, designed to encompass all of Russia and help involve every citizen in a grand celebration, is also aimed at showcasing Russian talent in the build-up to the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Sochi...

 Dmitry Chernyshenko, the President and chief executive of Sochi 2014, said: "The aim of all our activities under the Cultural Olympiad is to reach the heart of each citizen of the Russia to unite traditions and innovations.

"The Sweet Cherry Forest Festival, with its numerous premieres and the wide variety of genres,  is considered one of the brightest events of Year of theatre of the Sochi2014 Cultural Olympiad."

More than a thousand different cultural events are due to take place in Sochi in the build-up to the Olympics and Paralympics.

Malkovich is there promoting chamber opera play, whatever that is, called "The Giacomo Variations,"using Mozart's music about the life and times of Giacomo Casanova.  Yes, that Casanova.

And I don't know about you but when I think sex symbol, I think Malkovich.

Sochi Bringing the Party to London

Well, what the hell?  When you're already creating an Olympics from scratch, why not build some of it in London?

That's what is happening in 2012, as Russia plans to showoff for the world, looking to rent space near the Marble Arch to build an ice rink, teach the locals about figure skating and display the culture of both Sochi and the surrounding Krasnodar region.  Says the head of Sochi 2014 Dimitri Chernyshenko:

The public activities will run under the name of Sochi World and will focus on master-classes and spectacular shows on an ice-rink. The aim will be to present a new feature of the Sochi Games by reflecting the many different aspects of Russian culture across all its regions.

I like the idea of 'Sochi World.'  Mostly because I imagine riding Space Mountain through the Caucasus or dodging gunfire from Chechen terrorists on the tea cup ride.  Anyway...

This land is going to cost a shitload to rent, it's just how much, exactly, I haven't been able to determine.  Rent for apartments near the Marble Arch is ridiculous, so I'm assuming this is going to cost the government a small fortune.  Then again, hosting the Olympics is going to cost a large fortune, so I guess you should just go all out at this point.

Two Major Russian Businesses Snub (sort of) Sochi Olympics

And I do mean, sort of.  Russian diamond giant Alrosa and state-owned/run/controlled Gazprom, the largest extractor of natural gas in the world, declining to sponsor the 2014 Winter Olympics.  Now, USA Today's headline is a bit disingenuous, considering that Gazprom will be sponsoring the Russian Olympic team, just not the Olympics proper (fyi, Gazprom sponsors soccer teams in Germany, Serbia and Venezuala).  Alrosa, on the other hand, pulled out of a $100 preliminary deal and will instead pursue a sponsorship deal for the 2018 World Cup. 

That's all well and good but I thought the article's tone was interesting; that is the idea that the loss of this $100 million dollars due to Alrosa pulling out is no big deal because organizer Dimitri Chernyshenko has another $200 million in deals lined up, all of which will contribute to what USA Today calls "record revenue."  By their count (and I've been able to verify some of this, thanks to Google), Sochi's organizing committee has already secured $1.1 billion in sponsorship deals. 

Why is this interesting?  Well, for me it's because it pushes the "record revenues" theme (which Russia surely loves) while omitting the part where they are spending more than $30 billion to build and stage the damn Games, which is far and away the highest figure in Olympic history.  $1 billion is a drop in the bucket.  But maybe that's just me being crabby.

And Your New Olympic Sports Are...

Thanks to a long 'working' vacation, I've got to make up for lost time.  Like, Jason Lezak's anchor leg in the 4x100m relay in Beijing lost time.

Anyway, apparently the IOC got the memo that I was back in action, waiting until today to approve six new events for the 2014 Sochi Games from its executive board meeting.  This will mean roughly 150 new athletes in 2014. Says IOC head Jacques Rogge:

“The inclusion of these events on the Olympic Winter Games program is sure to be appreciated by athletes and sport fans alike,” said IOC President Jacques Rogge. “These are exciting, entertaining events that perfectly complement the existing events on the sports program, bring added appeal and increase the number of women participating at the Games. I look forward to watching the athletes compete in these events in Sochi 2014.”

Your new events:

1. Women's ski jumping - This was the big one for women's sports advocates and was the subject of a lawsuit prior to the Vancouver Games as something of a last-ditch ploy to get the event added.  Unfortunately for the potential plaintiffs, the IOC reports to nobody and its members serve at the pleasure of the IOC...but that's enough from my soapbox.  Deedee Corradina, president of Women's Ski Jumping USA, let her feelings be known: "Sochi, Russia can proudly proclaim that it will be hosting the first gender-equal Winter Games in Olympic history." Well, kind of, anyway.  The fine print is that the women will be competing in only what is known as the 'normal hill,' while men also compete on the normal hill, large hill, team and nordic combined.  Hey, something's better than nothing.
2. Men's and women ski halfpipe - This is actually somewhat controversial and Olivia Dwyer, who handles action sports over at ESPN.com, has a good piece on the inclusion or potential inclusion of this and other action sports in the Olympic program.  Now, why would the inclusion of ski halfpipe be controversial?  Well, the short answer is a that a whole bunch of stuff comes with that, things such as active management from an international body, the FIS in this case, as a prereq for being a part of the show.  That doesn't necessarily thrill the freestyle ski/snowboard folks.  Also, I'm sure there'll be concern from ESPN about what this means to its 'X Games' franchise, though I've not read anything about potential changes just yet.  Also, and this is mentioned in the link, there is already some concern from participants about further compression of their schedule, with all the Olympic qualifiers, in addition to X Games prep and FIS events.  Also, the Olympics aren't very cool.  Of course, maybe they will be now.
3. Figure skating team event - This was rolled out at the World Championships in 2009 and it looks like the format will remain the same, from everything I'm reading.  Pretty simple: Male singles skater, female singles skater, a pairs team and an ice dance team.  Most points wins. 
4. Luge team relay - This, for reasons I still can't determine, was lobbied for hard by many of the world's top lugers.  The short version of team luge: the second luger starts when the first one finishes.  That's it.  That, apparently, is the entire event.*
5. Biathlon Mixed Relay: Nobody, except for the International Biathlon Union, gives a shit about biathlon, so read about this over there.

Nothing like easing back into things with a tidy little list.  I promise more good stuff coming more frequently from here on out.  Or until I get a real job, at least.

*This is a bitch I have about a number of Olympic events, so it's not really fair to shit on lugers alone.  Namely, the practice, most heinously applied to swimming, of chopping up a sport into a thousand component parts and awarding a medal for each of them. From Wikipedia cut and paste:

• Freestyle: 50 m, 100 m, 200 m, 400 m, 800 m (women), 1500 m (men),
• Backstroke: 100 m, 200 m
• Breaststroke: 100 m, 200 m
• Butterfly: 100 m, 200 m
• Individual Medley: 200 m, 400 m
• Relay: 4×100 m Free, 4×200 m Free; 4×100 m Medley
• Marathon: 10 km

That was the program in Beijing.  I just don't understand why doing the exact same thing for slightly longer and shorter distances gets its own medal.  It's not like marathon and half-marathon or something.  Anyway, I'm sure it's just me.