© AFP / Jose SOTOMAYOR
The move is apparently dictated by American athletes' disagreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) decision to allow clean Russian competitors to take part in major sporting events under a neutral flag.
Comment: The Americans want athletes who have never done anything wrong to not be allowed to participate in a sporting event. That's how bad Americans have been brainwashed that Russians are evil.
On Monday, WADA's executive committee unanimously voted to hand a four-year ban to Russia, prohibiting the country from taking part in and hosting international sporting events, for alleged manipulations of doping data retrieved from a Moscow laboratory.
The newly-imposed sanctions allow clean Russian athletes who have never been implicated in doping scandals to compete as neutral athletes, something that US sports figures are not satisfied with.
Last week, the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) chief Travis Tygart called for a ban on all Russian athletes in Tokyo, including those with clean record.
It remains unknown how US sport stars plan to protest against their Russian counterparts next summer, as demonstrations are strictly prohibited by International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules.
"Olympic Village and the other Games venues and sites should focus on sport and remain free from advertising/publicity or any kind of demonstrations or political, religious and racial propaganda," the IOC's 'Rule 50' states.
In July, Australian swimmer Mack Horton was sanctioned by the International Swimming Federation (FINA) for his refusal to share a podium with Chinese rival Sun Yang who was suspected of violating doping rules.
Reader Comments
I think the intent was to send a ''message'' to the Soviet Union.
Do you think the boycotts of the Moscow games 1980, or Atlanta 1984 (virtually the whole Eastern Bloc) were the athlete's decision ???
The US has used steroids just as many other countries and it's no big deal except for Russia.
When you watch the Olympics on ESPN or other broad casters that you half to pay to watch, and for every 60 min. you get 35 min. worth of advertisements. Think of all that money they make from you for just watching ads.
The Olympics has become like fake news MSM, CNN, and all the rest of the ABCs which I don’t watch. Their at the bottom for ratings and going lower all the time. There going lower than a snake in a wagon wheel rut on a rainy day.