Russia’s doping scandal

The “Duchess” cocktail developed by Russia does not sell in any bar in the country. It is a “limited edition” given only to its athletes during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. It is a cocktail of various banned drugs and alcohol. How could athletes pass the doping test after drinking such cocktail? Intelligence agents disguised themselves as plumbers and replaced contaminated urine samples with new ones.

A government-led doping operation like a spy movie during the Cold War was finally caught. According to the World Anti-Doping Agency, the Russian government concealed that Russian athletes took banned drugs. It even gave drugs to disabled athletes who participated in the Paralympics. The fallout of the doping scandal – a collaboration between the government and the spy agency – dealt a hard blow to athletes. As the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) banned the Russian team from participating in international competitions, making it impossible to compete in the Rio Olympics. The Russian athletes who spent four years for the Olympics lost a chance due to the government’s fault.

There is an exception: Darya Klishina, a 25-year-old long jumper also known as a “Barbie doll” on the track. Also known as the world’s sexist athlete, she will participate in the competition in her personal capacity with the Olympic flag, instead of the Russian national flag. The International Olympic Committee confirmed that she is unrelated to doping as she trained in the U.S. for three years. She suffers the “survivors’ guilt.” She wrote a post on social media, “I’m very happy because I can participate in the Olympics. I thank IAAF.” With people calling her a betrayer, the beloved athlete fell from grace.

As Russia’s doping scandal grows, one country has adopted a written doping test. According to the Chinese team, the athletes and coaches who will play in the Rio Olympics must get at least 80 out of 100 points in a written test on banned drugs. Korea, which also had brouhaha over the swimmer Park Tae-hwan, should not stay complacent. The World Anti-Doping Agency also holds athletes responsible despite their “unintended” doping.