Many foreign media are angry that Russian hockey players performed their national anthem after their victory over Germany, despite the fact that the anthem and the Russian flag were banned as punishment for the Russian doping scandal, the site reports.
Russia, playing under a neutral flag in Pyeongchang, won 4-3 in overtime in one of the most unexpected finals in the history of the Olympic hockey tournament, The Huffington Post writes.
Later, at the awards ceremony, the winning team performed the Russian anthem, drowning out the sounds of the Olympic anthem in the hockey arena, despite the bans.
The German team surprised the entire hockey world by reaching their first Olympic final. The Germans won silver, their best finish in Olympic hockey, the publication reports.
The Russians, writes The Huffington Post, took to the ice after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided not to restore the Olympic status of their delegation, which would have allowed them to fly their flag later, at the closing ceremony.
As OAR players received gold medals on the ice, the Olympic flag was raised in place of the Russian flag and the Olympic anthem was played. But the players played their national anthem instead.
Playing the Russian anthem on the ice rink violates IOC rules on neutrality, which were imposed on Russia as part of sanctions punishing Russia for “systematic doping in many sports,” the American publication writes.
According to The Huffington Post, there should have been no fair fight in the hockey final, but the Germans played on par with the UAR.
The Russian team, made up of super talents from the KHL, considered the best league in the world after the NHL, and led by ex-NHLers Pavel Datsyuk and Ilya Kovalchuk, finally pulled out a victory over the German team, which succumbed to the pressure of the Russians.
In addition to Kaprizov, who “made” the victory, Gusev became another hero of the OAR, scoring two goals in the third period, The Huffington Post reports.
According to the American publication USA Today, Pavel Datsyuk made it clear that two Stanley Cup championships with the Detroit Red Wings rank second on his list of achievements.
“You play for your country - that’s more important,” Datsyuk said after Russia won the hockey title at the 2018 Olympics.
This was the first Olympic victory for Russians since the 1992 Olympic Games in France. “It’s incredibly gratifying to make your dream come true,” Datsyuk said. “Now I have no dreams.”
The publication, like The Huffington Post, noted that the Russians still sang their anthem, despite the IOC ban.
“Everyone knows that we are not Olympic athletes from Russia, we are Russians,” Ilya Kovalchuk told Russian television.
Russian defender Bogdan Kiselevich said the players felt they needed to do something.
"We sang because we are Russian people, and when you win, the anthem plays," he said. “This is what was in our souls and hearts.”
Paralympic officials did what Olympic officials couldn't, writes The New York Times. The head of the International Committee, Philip Craven, said that the Russian state gives priority to “medals, not morals.” As a result, the membership of the Russian Paralympic Committee in the organization was suspended.
This step was appreciated by those who believed that the International Olympic Committee should have made a tougher decision regarding Russia, notes The Guardian. The newspaper recalls that the IOC previously approved the participation of the majority of Russian athletes in the Summer Games. The organization also had no complaints against the Russian Olympic Committee. The opposite position of Paralympic officials could undermine public confidence in the IOC and its head, Thomas Bach, the publication emphasizes.
British The Independent criticizes Thomas Bach for indecisiveness. Journalists are sure that during the opening of the Rio Games, the IOC President was obliged to mention the Russian doping scandal. As a result, not a word was spoken, this is a conspiracy of silence, The Independent is indignant.
To think that athletes with disabilities are “above” cheating is naive. Columnist shares this position The Telegraph. He explains that the International Paralympic Committee reported that 45 doping samples were tampered with at the Sochi Games. These are tests of 14 athletes. 27 samples belong to eight sports that are included in the competition program. The committee therefore took these findings as sufficient evidence that Paralympians should not compete internationally.
Russian Paralympians are traditionally among the leaders in international competitions, notes The Huffington Post. At the Games in London in 2012, the team took second place in the overall medal standings, losing only to the Chinese team.
The Daily Mail indicates that 267 Paralympic athletes from Russia were supposed to go to Rio. They represent 18 disciplines. Competitions for athletes with disabilities will begin in Rio on September 7, the newspaper recalls. Thus, the Russians have less than a month to challenge the decision of the International Committee in court.
The Financial Times writes that against the backdrop of the scandal with Russian athletes, concerns are growing regarding compliance with anti-doping rules at the Rio Olympics. For example, on August 7, information appeared in the media that a high-ranking official from Kenya was ready to hide possible violations by athletes in exchange for a bribe.
The decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport not to allow Russian track and field athletes to participate in the 2016 Olympic Games caused a storm of reactions on the Internet. Many readers of Western media consider it fair, but most are surprised: why were only Russian athletes targeted, since the problem of doping is global? If the United States eliminates a competitor in this way and tries to put pressure on Moscow, then this indicates a complete fiasco of the very idea of the Olympic movement.
source InoTV Russia Europe tags - 03:00
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On February 23, a grand event took place in Sochi. Foreign media are still writing about the Olympics in Sochi, although the starts ended two days ago. And if initially reviews of the Games were, to put it mildly, unflattering, now the picture has changed dramatically.
Also, many foreign media continue to express positive opinions about self-irony over the unopened ring. So the organizers decided to joke about the problem that arose during the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics. " Well done Russia for proving that you have a sense of humor", writes Time.
But perhaps the most laconic were Metro journalists. " Oh those Russians!,” they noted about the final show.
The New York Times praised the high level of the Olympics: “ The closing ceremony on Sunday was a celebration of everything Russian and everything Russia does well. The whole evening was a showcase of Russia's successes and, like it or not, the Olympics are now among them. Putin got the Olympics and his country did well. In the process, a less attractive side of Russia has been exposed, and that may prove to be the Games' most important success».
The French newspaper Le Figaro noted the excellent level of organization and skill of Russian athletes, who: “ Russia has proven to itself and the world that it has made the impossible possible.».
The Washington Post journalist is confident that the Games were a real victory for Russia, but how they influenced the attitude of other countries is still unclear. " I know your people much better after this unforgettable visit, and I feel that my relationship with you is as complex as your citizens. I love your people as much as I hate your leaders", wrote the columnist.
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There were also skeptics. The Financial Times writes that after the Olympics in Sochi, Russia will return to the Soviet type and all invested funds will simply be lost: “ If so, then the investment in rebranding Russia will be in vain, no matter what it was - $14 billion or $50 billion. Moscow and Mr. Putin will find themselves, in terms of reputation, where they were after the war in Georgia. Best case scenario».
The German publication Die Welt calls the Closing Ceremony very colorful, and the British newspaper The Guardian also noted the humorous element with the unopened ring. " Everything except hockey went according to plan . The country has spent huge amounts of money to build sports facilities from scratch, not to mention roads and railways. At the closing ceremony, the organizers laughed at themselves, playing up the incident with a faulty snowflake during the opening of the Games».
The Los Angeles Times recalls that before the games there were rumors regarding shortcomings in hotels, the threat of terrorism, the law banning homosexuality and much more, however, despite this, Russia staged the Games with dignity, providing amazing sports facilities and the proper atmosphere.
The Wall Street Journal also writes that by the end of the Olympics, the pre-Olympic scandals had subsided, as everyone was delighted. The publication notes that there were more than 200 representatives of South Korea in Sochi, who learned all the intricacies of organizing the Games in order to use them at home, because there are only 4 years left before the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
Even Vladimir Putin noted the change in the attitude of journalists towards Russia. At a meeting with journalists, he said that during the preparation there was a lot of different criticism - both constructive and aggressive. But despite this, Russia held a wonderful Olympics, and now the world saw a new country open to cooperation.
On Tuesday, December 5, the executive committee of the International Olympic Committee decided to exclude Russia from participation in the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang. Foreign media comment on this decision. The selection was prepared by the Kommersant newspaper and the TASS news agency.
Neue Zuercher Zeitung(Zurich, Switzerland)
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The IOC verdict went further than expected. But there is still a bad feeling. In Pyeongchang, Russian athletes will take to the start line. Teams will also compete for medals. The committee decides who meets the criteria of an impeccable athlete. In making this assessment, the commission will rely in part on data from the Russian anti-doping agency RUSADA, which was suspended by the international doping agency WADA during the anti-doping scandal...
The IOC's decision allows everyone to save face to some extent. The verdict seriously affects former Sports Minister Mutko. He is a chess piece that is removed from the board. This allows him to receive sympathy in his homeland as a victim of a Western conspiracy, which in the perception of Russians is as proven as Russian state doping is for the West.
Sportinformation(Bern, Switzerland)
A little more than six months before the start of the World Cup and three months before the presidential elections, for which he has not yet officially nominated, Vladimir Putin is ready for battle. And in all scenarios he comes out the winner. The IOC did not take the easy way out by suspending the Russian Olympic Committee from the Pyeongchang Olympics, but at the same time allowing individual athletes to take part in the Games under the Olympic flag. Vladimir Putin warned that such an option would be considered “humiliation.” Now the President of Russia can safely present his country as a victim and shift the blame to the West. From Moscow to St. Petersburg, Putin will henceforth look like a man who has decided to fight back against the American-European bloc. With all the rhetoric inherent in it.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung(Frankfurt am Main, Germany)
It looks as if there is some kind of deal behind the punishment that will avoid a quarrel with Russia and at the same time allow the IOC to save face. But this, on the contrary, does not help the fight against doping and the cleanliness of athletes. At home, at the Winter Olympics in our own country, such sanctions could be very sensitive, becoming an effective deterrent for everyone who believes that it is possible to deceive the youth of the whole world with criminal energy without a twinge of conscience, demonstrate their secretly improved successes and at the same time sing the national anthem in the stands Olympic values. But in PyeongChang, four years after the biggest manipulation since East Germany's forced doping programs, the ban on Russian state symbols no longer plays a big role.
Behind the serious blow, upon closer inspection, an unpleasant calculation is obvious. The cost of discovering a government doping system that operated from at least 2010 to 2015 and in which more than a thousand athletes were willy-nilly involved is ridiculous... With good behavior, by the end of the Olympics you can return the flag and, as it may otherwise be perceived, return to your family . The risk is minimal.
The New York Times(New York, USA)
It was a comeuppance for an arrogant sporting colossus who had long used the Olympics as a symbol of global power but was caught systematically doping on a previously unimaginable scale. After conducting a lengthy investigation of its own, the IOC handed down Russia an unprecedented punishment in Olympic history for doping. The decision was the final confirmation that the country was found guilty of running a massive state-sponsored doping program. This scheme can only be compared to the infamous program that existed in East Germany from 1960 to 1980.
The Los Angeles Times(Los Angeles, USA)
"This time, I think they (the IOC) couldn't get over it," said Mark Dareson, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who specializes in Olympic history. “What will happen if you have such clear and convincing evidence and you do not agree to a ban?”
Some countries had previously been banned from participating in the Olympics, but this was all for political reasons. South Africa was banned for failing to condemn apartheid, and Afghanistan was banned for discriminating against women under Taliban rule. The case with Russia is different - after all, for decades it was one of the locomotives of the Games, taking high places in the medal standings at both the summer and winter Games.
The Daily Telegraph(London, Great Britain)
For the benefit of sportsmen and women around the world, a complete ban on the participation of Russian athletes in any international competitions is needed. Of course, the decision to ban the Russian team from participating in the Winter Olympics is a big step in the right direction, but it is only a step... Half the work. I don't think the Russians should be allowed to compete in Pyeongchang, whether under a neutral flag or not.
This is a serious position, but a necessary one. I sympathize with the “clean” Russian athletes from the bottom of my heart, because these are people who have done nothing wrong. But the majority must be protected - this is the case when it is necessary to sacrifice some to save many. Simply put, Russia has not learned its lessons from the 2016 Rio Olympics, it still does not comply with the rules, so it must face serious punishment. They refuse to admit that what they did was wrong and they have absolutely no remorse.
How can they be neutral? These athletes and sportswomen are the same Russians. It's not like they grew up in America or Australia or anywhere else. They went through the same regime as everyone else in the country, so why should they be treated differently? Imagine being a British athlete in PyeongChang and you finish second, third or fourth behind a Russian who is competing under a neutral flag. You will always have an element of doubt if you compete with a Russian.
Le Soir(Brussels, Belgium)
Shock, indignation and... confusion. Sports and political circles in Moscow reacted with anger but at the same time confusion to the IOC's decision to suspend Russia from the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang. And this confusion is felt even more strongly because in a country with a rigid vertical power structure, where any decision is made at the top and applies to everyone, the Kremlin chose to remain silent in this situation. Vladimir Putin rarely reacts to something immediately. Yesterday, he chose to remain silent in response to Russia’s ban on participating in the Olympic Games, despite the fact that four years ago he personally headed the organization of the Games in Sochi in order to show the world a different Russia, which in the end, like a boomerang, turns against Moscow.
L'Equipe(Paris, France)
On the eve of the meeting of the IOC Executive Committee in Lausanne, the refrain of official comments in Russia on the topic of a possible ban on participation in the Pyeongchang Olympics remained the same: Grigory Rodchenkov is a traitor and schizophrenic who “fabricated” his diaries, which served as the basis for the scandal, and the US and UK hatched an anti-Russian conspiracy. In their opinion, the problem of doping affects Russia no more than other countries. More moderate patriots called for a boycott of the 2018 Olympic Games, Russian TV channels threatened not to broadcast the competition, and radical patriots called on the authorities to organize alternative games like the 1986 Goodwill Games.
However, Telesport has already transferred $20 million for the rights to broadcast the Games in Pyeongchang (later resold to Channel One, Rossiya and Match-TV). And Russian athletes found themselves in a very delicate situation. If they do decide to participate in the Games, the largely pro-boycott society will accuse them of being selfish and lacking a sense of patriotism. (Author - Kelly Southerton, athlete, bronze medalist at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and 2008 in Beijing).
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