Jump to content
British Speedway Forum
Sign in to follow this  
uk_martin

Russia banned for four years

Recommended Posts

"Russia has been handed a four-year ban from all major sporting events by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada)."

So the question is...Is speedway, especially the SGP, SEC and SON counted as major sporting events that the ban applies to?   Will Emil, the Laguta's etc be banned from international competitions and what will be the impact on the sport?

Like most, I guess, I associated WADA's activities with Athletics, but the way that this article reads, ALL "major" sports are affected. I would imagine that speedway coming under the auspices of an international governing body (FIM) could be classified as a "major sport" (despite what some here may argue) and therefore the Russian competitors could come a cropper here, possibly? 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/50710598

  • Confused 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

It is a bit worrying. They have said UEFA aren't included as a major event organiser but you're right, we're governed by the FIM, a world body. I guess Emil etc. could compete in the GP's and SEC under a neutral flag if they can prove they are clean. But as a team event the SON is a bit more tricky. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

No chance. Plus what I heard was that even the athletes could continue competing in the Olympics etc, just not as a Russian team. So even if it really really did under the most unbelievable of circumstance affect speedway, all it would mean is Emil etc would compete as Rest of the World riders. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
6 minutes ago, iris123 said:

No chance. Plus what I heard was that even the athletes could continue competing in the Olympics etc, just not as a Russian team. So even if it really really did under the most unbelievable of circumstance affect speedway, all it would mean is Emil etc would compete as Rest of the World riders. 

As I said in my post above, participation in the individual events i.e GPs and SEC could continue under a neutral flag. But the "Rest the World" team or whatever you call it has not qualified for the SON. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 minute ago, False dawn said:

As I said in my post above, participation in the individual events i.e GPs and SEC could continue under a neutral flag. But the "Rest the World" team or whatever you call it has not qualified for the SON. 

No, but they could be put in qualifiers. It was even talked about before the SON started about making up a team so the likes of Vakulic could compete. Plus there are so many previous examples in FIM events of made up Team Europe etc competing

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 minute ago, iris123 said:

No, but they could be put in qualifiers. It was even talked about before the SON started about making up a team so the likes of Vakulic could compete. Plus there are so many previous examples in FIM events of made up Team Europe etc competing

I can recall GB vs The Rest of The World as an example. But I don't ever recall such a side in a world group event such as the SON, the Pairs or the World Team Cup. I suppose the FIM can change the rules to suit but I assume they are covered by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Any attempt to circumvent the ban by calling a team of Russians something else will surely be jumped on.  A Rest of the World team wouldn't all be Russians would it?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
8 minutes ago, False dawn said:

I can recall GB vs The Rest of The World as an example. But I don't ever recall such a side in a world group event such as the SON, the Pairs or the World Team Cup. I suppose the FIM can change the rules to suit but I assume they are covered by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Any attempt to circumvent the ban by calling a team of Russians something else will surely be jumped on.  A Rest of the World team wouldn't all be Russians would it?

As o said it was a rumour before the SON started. But there has been a Team Europe in the FIM world ice speedway team final. There has also been one or two strange teams in FIM U21 or UEM U21 or U19 quails. Team Adria comes to mind with Croatian and Slovenian riders....

2002 & 2005 !!!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_Ice_Racing_World_Championship

It is irrelevant anyway if the European football championship isn’t considered major then speedway certainly wouldn’t

Edited by iris123

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 minute ago, iris123 said:

As o said it was a rumour before the SON started. But there has been a Team Europe in the FIM world ice speedway team final. There has also been one or two strange teams in FIM U21 or UEM U21 or U19 quails. Team Adria comes to mind with Croatian and Slovenian riders....

But the key difference is that they are not all from one nation. Field a team, under whatever banner, which comprises of only Russians and you'll run into the ban. I guess a "mixed" team, entered purely to allow some Russians to compete might be okay. But then you run into the issue of who picks the team and on what basis?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
8 minutes ago, False dawn said:

But the key difference is that they are not all from one nation. Field a team, under whatever banner, which comprises of only Russians and you'll run into the ban. I guess a "mixed" team, entered purely to allow some Russians to compete might be okay. But then you run into the issue of who picks the team and on what basis?

Think you are taking the p ? 
Last time they were banned they competed not as Russia, but Olympic athletes from Russia, even in team events, as a team !!!! They were /are just banned from entering as Russia under a Russian banner and play the Russian national anthem on the podium if they win... 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Athletes_from_Russia_at_the_2018_Winter_Olympics

Edited by iris123

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
6 minutes ago, iris123 said:

Think you are taking the p ? 
Last time they were banned they competed not as Russia, but Olympic athletes from Russia, even in team events, as a team !!!! They were /are just banned from entering as Russia under a Russian banner and play the Russian national anthem on the podium if they win... 

Not taking anything. Just trying to unravel what might be a difficult situation for our Russian friends in a sport I love and in which the Russian nation is on the rise. I wasn't aware that Russia had competed in team events in the Olympics etc. under a neutral flag. I bow to your superior knowledge.

Edited by False dawn

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
3 hours ago, BangerBoy said:

Think the word Major is the key word here

probably more people attend speedway meetings 'week in week out' than athletics.:unsure:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
4 minutes ago, pugwash said:

probably more people attend speedway meetings 'week in week out' than athletics.:unsure:

Err, Olympics.......probably more people attend one day of the Olympics than attend a season of speedway? No idea really, but given all the various events. Plus more people watch the Olympics on tv in one day than watch a decade of speedway on tv,at a guess 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

how would it affect GP's etc being run in Russia?

  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, stevehone said:

how would it affect GP's etc being run in Russia?

I'd guess if there was any problem then we would hear about the Russian F1 GP having problems first. If we hear nothing then I would say speedway has no problem either. In fact found something which seems to state no problems for F1 or any such event where contracts have already been signed and it is legally impossible to cancel So this season and next would at the very least be ok if there is a contract with BSI. The new guys wanting to have new contracts could possibly  have some trouble.......maybe

Russia are hosting a few rounds of the FIM ice speedway world championships early next year. That would be a tester of the ruling. Plus Russia are due to field a team in the World Team Championships....

Of course it also depends at a basic level if the FIM speedway section comes under the WADA sanctions. I see that earlier in the year they dropped WADA from Supercross

https://racerxonline.com/2019/08/28/wada-out-fim-approves-simplified-anti-doping-procedure-for-supercross

Edited by iris123

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

×

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. Privacy Policy