Category: sport medicine

Russian Olympic ban

Though I feel badly for all the innocent athletes, coaches and support officials in Russia, a penalty this severe was necessary if anti-doping is to be enforced.

IT HAS taken seven investigative reports and seven years. But at long last the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided on December 5th to punish Russia for running a state-sponsored doping programme …

Russian athletes hoping to compete will have to do so carrying the Olympic flag and singing the Olympic anthem—if they can prove that they are clean. …

The decision is more embarrassing for Vitaly Mutko, Mr Putin’s deputy and the former minister for sport, who has been barred from the Olympics for life. Mr Mutko is also in charge of next year’s football World Cup, which Russia is hosting.  …

Economist – Russia’s overdue Olympic ban is no cure for anti-doping impotence

Russian denials, including those of Svetlana Khorkina, are mostly wrong.

Russia should quit state sponsored doping. Putin must give that order.

Photo: AFP

related – Guardian – Of course Russian sport is corrupt, but then so are the Olympics

McKayla Maroney – victim statement

Sports Illustrated

McKayla Maroney: Nassar ‘Deserves to Spend the Rest of His Life in Prison’

Jordyn Wieber on Nassar

… “It’s really hard to hear knowing what some of my own friends and teammates went through that. I just want to support them and be there for them.”

“Now that it’s all out in the open, there can be a lot of positive change in our sport because it is one of the greatest sports in the world, in my opinion.” …

Jordyn Wieber supports teammates and hopes for safer USA Gymnastics program

Jordyn’s back in Michigan for that interview. Of course she trained at Larry Nassar’s home club Twistars in Michigan. Nassar volunteered there for more than 20 years. Twistars gymnasts are amongst Nassar’s accusers.

Lauren Hopkins is thankful

Read Lauren’s very personal reflections on the Nassar crimes.

Lauren, by the way, is enjoying a non-Gymnastics holiday this weekend. 🙂

https://twitter.com/laurenhopkins96/status/934018201356206081

Nasser pleads guilty

I expect and hope Nassar will be in prison for the rest of his life.

He is expected to face at least 25 years in prison. I’m guessing there will be additional court cases in other jurisdictions adding to that sentence.

Olympic champion Aly Raisman hopes drawing attention to abuse will be her greatest legacy

What is the U.S. medical community doing to discipline criminals like Nassar?

Aly supports Gabby

This is what leadership looks like.

Gabby was also abused by Nassar

A representative for the Olympian confirmed the authenticity of the post and that Douglas says she was molested by Nassar …

…  Douglas explained why she had not joined the other accusers until now.

“I didn’t publicly share my experiences as well as many other things because for years we were conditioned to stay silent and honestly some things were extremely painful,” she wrote. “I wholeheartedly support my teammates for coming forward with what happened to them.” …

NBC

Oleg might have surgeries in January

Coach Gennady Sartynsky:

Oleg will likely have surgeries on his leg and shoulder in January.

He’ll probably miss the whole next season. He definitely won’t be able to train for half a year and then we’ll see how he’s getting back in shape.

He tore a ligament in his leg, this had bothered Oleg even before Rio, but it was tolerable. He’s torn his shoulder already this season and it needs to be repaired.

We’ve just done an MRI and realized that a surgery is inevitable. …

gymnovosti

He wants to finish the Bundesliga season first.

Aly Raisman on the Today Show

Click PLAY or watch it on Twitter.

Aly Raisman: I am a victim of sexual abuse

We all need thank Aly and her parents for having the courage to speak out on 60 Minutes. Gymnasts look up to Aly for leadership. More gymnasts will be empowered to speak out when they feel uncomfortable in the presence of a groomer. Coaches and parents will be more cautious in future.

I’m disappointed that USA Gymnastics did not have a spokesperson interviewed in this feature.

… We were told he is the best doctor. He’s the United States Olympic doctor and the USA Gymnastics doctor, and we were very lucky we were able to see him. …

About 165,000 athletes and 3,400 gyms are members of USA Gymnastics. Raisman is calling for major changes in personnel, training, and education to keep athletes safe. …

USA Gymnastics has a long-standing policy that adults should “avoid being alone with a minor.” Despite that policy, Raisman says she was alone with Dr. Nassar. He treated her and other athletes in their hotel rooms during competitions abroad. …

It got even harder in the summer of 2015 — a year before the Rio Games — when an investigator hired by USA Gymnastics paid Raisman a visit. A coach had raised concerns about Dr. Nassar’s treatment of athletes. Raisman says she was caught off guard when the investigator asked her about it. …

After she returned from Rio, she says she spoke with FBI agents who had opened an investigation of Larry Nassar. …

Watch it on 60 Minutes – full interview (14 min)

There are two additional Overtime features via that link.