Reaction to IOC Rejection of Retroactive Medals: Part 3 of 3

If the IOC does not function to serve the needs of the world’s drug-free athletes, then athletes must begin to question whether their competition under the umbrella of the IOC, and enriching that organization by providing the reason for the huge and lucrative TV contracts for the Olympic Games is in the best interests of the athletes.

The IOC is using the athletes to gain TV revenues, but when it comes to standing up for fair competition, they whine about it being “too hard.”

The absurdity of saying that “we don’t know if the athletes we would move up to the medal stand were clean either” is tantamount to saying, “gee, we can’t successfully prosecute all the crimes, so lets not prosecute any.” The IOC needs to correct what they know is wrong. If more wrongs come forward, they can correct those as well. The world’s clean athletes deserve no less.

“Where the IOC has proof or confessions, they need to award duplicate medals and asterisk the record books with corrections added”, continued Leonard.

The world’s athletes want to compete in an Olympic Games. Now, they must begin to ask themselves if they want to compete in an Olympic Games run by an International Olympic Committee who does not support fair competition.

The IOC has covered up a half century of bribery in connection with the awarding of Games sites, according to Mr. Hodler, they refuse to correct the record of drug-aided athletes to cheat the rest of the world, and now they want to take control of the drug-testing for the whole world. What in their history would give the world’s athletes any confidence that that drug testing would be done any more ethically than the other IOC endeavors?

Leonard concluded with three recommendations:
1) The IOC should award duplicate medals to all athletes affected by court proven doping, or by self-confessed doping. (no attempt made to take medals from doped winners, since they may or may not be culpable.)

2) The IOC should support financially the drug-testing programs that conform to the IOC standards. In swimming, FINA is now running an excellent drug-use testing program.

3) The IOC should NOT attempt to bring under its own umbrella, world drug testing. Provide funding for well-run programs by the Federations. The IOC must regain the confidence of the world’s athletes and prove itself to be an athlete-centered organization. Including active athletes and coaches in the IOC would move the IOC in the proper direction.

“The world wants the Olympic Games. It may not need the IOC to conduct this competition, if it is not centered on the needs of the athlete.”

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