Doping and walking

Several major events of recent times in Russian sports again forced the sports world to discuss the problem of doping, which has not been possible to eradicate for a very long time.

One part of the events is associated with biathlon. This story began before the start of the games in Sochi, when in January of this year the Union of Biathlonists of Russia announced the withdrawal of Irina of the old from the national team of Russia because of the positive doping tests, taken at one of the stages of the World Cup. Then the doping industry also gave a positive result. The same indicators had another Russians - Ekaterina Yuryeva. And now the International Biathlon Union (IBU) has announced punishment: the old ones were disqualified for two years, and Yuryev for eight years. Both athletes are punished for the use of forbidden drugs. The ban on participating in the competition entered into force on December 23, 2013, that is, from the moment when the athletes passed a positive doping sample.

Yuryeva, in fact, had already completed performances in big sport, but the old ones were considered by the leadership of the SBR as one of the most promising participants in the country's national team. In March, Irina herself wrote to IBU: “I am sure that the forbidden drug came to my body due to cosmetic procedures, injections of Laennec. It was recommended by my friends. I wanted to go through a series of cosmetic procedures to improve my skin.

I could not imagine that it contains prohibited substances. My only goal was to improve my appearance, as I began to participate in the World Cup, appear on television, and take part in photo shoots. I wanted to look better. In addition, my results were good at that moment, and I did not need to improve my performances in this way.

This is completely my mistake that I made a series of injections without consultations with a doctor of the Russian team or other doctors. "

Of course, this statement was not taken into account - doping is doping. Probably, this is understood by Irina Starykh herself, since she will not dispute the IBU decision.

But this did not end. Recently received a message about the disqualification of the Russian bike lover Denis Menshov until 2015 - also for violation of anti -doping rules.

In January 2014, the International Swimming Federation temporarily suspended the Russian swimmer Julia Efimov from the competition after her doping tests gave a positive result. The athlete decided not to open the test "B", Efimova was disqualified for 16 months, the period of disqualification expires on February 28, 2015.

For two years, the All -Russian Federation of Athletics (VFLA) disqualified Lilia Shobukhova long -distance runners - based on deviations in the athlete’s biological passport. Shobukhova’s disqualification period will end on January 23, 2015.

A few days ago, it became known that the doping industry of the two-time bronze medalist of the Olympic Games 2012 in London, the Russian bike lover Olga Zabelinskaya, taken in the spring of this year, gave a positive result.

And finally, the Lashmanova business. The Olympic champion and the world champion in sports walking Elena Lashmanova was disqualified for two years for violating anti -doping rules. The Lashmanova sample, taken from the athlete on January 4, 2014 gave a positive result. The Russian woman will be able to start performances in February 2016-when there will be about six months before the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The picture is impressive. It remains to recall that practically no Olympiad since 1996-both summer and winter-did not do without doping scandals with the participation of representatives of the Russian team .

Well, the current story with Elena Lashmanova received a very loud development. She is a pupil of the Saransk Center for Olympic training and a student of Viktor Chegin - one of the most successful Russian coaches of recent years, so to speak, a sign figure in Russian sports. Chegin is a recognized authority of the international level, his center is respected all over the world. For 15 years, Chegin and his pupils have accustomed the whole world to their constant victories. And Victor publicly proposed to think about resignation in connection with numerous doping incidents with the participation of his wards. And, of course, everyone understands that the possible departure of Chegin will call into question the future of the center of Olympic training. But after all, cases of revelations since 2012 are a lot - 9 athletes! And in total, 13 doping-discord has accumulated in the center of Chygin.

Valentin Balakhnichev, President of the WFLA said that CHEGIN was removed from working with the Russian team to the end of the investigation, which jointly began the Russian anti -doping agency (RUSADA) and IAAF. Moreover, not only a specific case with Lashmanova will be investigated, but all the activities of the Center for Olympic Training in Saransk. And, of course, Viktor Chegin will not go to the European Championship in Zurich.

Everything regarding Viktor Chegin and the investigation that the Russian anti -doping agency conducts, the press of Mordovia defines as the machinations of certain enemies who want to destroy the Mordovian walking school. At the same time, hints are made that these intrigues have foreign roots. Here is what the RS correspondent in Saransk Igor Telin reports.

Among the main ill -wishers of Chegin is the Australian Skorokhod, a three -time Olympic medalist Jared Tellet. Local newspapers write: “The pupils of Chegin did not allow him to rise to the first step of the pedestal,” and therefore in his comments regarding the doping scandal, he calls on to disqualify the Mordovian coach. "IAAF is losing confidence, allowing Victor CHEGIN to continue work!" - believes the Australian.

At the same time, athletes from other countries supported the opinion of Tellet. The Saranian newspaper Capital C writes: “Such gloating is understandable. The removal from the work of one of the most effective mentors in the world will facilitate the path of competitors to awards. By the way, many foreigners wanted to train with Viktor Chegin, but they were refused.” Most of the Saransky newspapers are trying to “not notice” this scandal at all, and those that still publish notes on this subject transfer him to the plane of the dishonest competition of foreigners and intrigues of ill-wishers regarding the Saransky coach.

From time to time in the capital of Mordovia, competitions in sports walking both Russian and international levels are held, and sometimes it is possible to communicate in an informal setting with trainers from other Russian regions. What is called, “not under the record,” they say that the “Cheginsky school” not only has killed competition in Russia in this sport, but also destroys any of its sprouts, that is, manifestations of this very competition. In fact, the athlete is not possible to win in more or less significant national competitions from this notorious school. Statistics confirm this, and the coaches among themselves say that the reason for this is not only the strength of the Mordovian speeds ...

Rusada conducts an investigation, in it the name of Chegin is not directly mentioned. And although its wording is as follows: "A preliminary investigation of possible violations of anti -doping rules in relation to athletes acting in the discipline of sports walking and athletes personnel," everyone is clear who is about. The investigation, we recall, was started after the loudest, perhaps, doping scandal in sports walking: disqualification of the Olympic champion Elena Lashmanova. Not only is it about the winner of the Olympic Games, but also the drug found in her body does not belong to the category of "ordinary". The GW1516 metabolite is not just a rare drug, the fact is that its effect on the body can be fatal. That is, using it, Lashmanova really risked not even health - life. The fact that the athlete did it on her own without informing the coach is unlikely.

On the other hand, the figure of Chegin, who has repeatedly recognized the best coach of the country, the Order -bearing, a person who has the right to the lifetime of his bronze bust in Saransk, is very significant in the world of Russian light athletics. This can be judged at least by the reaction of the President of the All -Russian Athletics Federation Valentina Balakhnichev and the head coach of the Russian athletics team Valentin Maslakov, who are extremely careful in their comments. So it cannot be ruled out that as a result of this investigation, CHEGIN will not have to do with it. And the athletes themselves, who took prohibited drugs exclusively on their own initiative, or other specialists of the Center for the Olympic Training of the Republic of Mordovia, who allegedly showed the initiative, without informing the head coach, will be found guilty of the doping scandal. Given the authority of Chegin, it can be assumed that there are people who will be ready to get guilty of themselves, ”Igor Telin believes in Saransk.

Of course, from the word of the Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation that it is necessary to ask not only from the athlete and the coach, but also from the president of the federation, they seem to be true. But in fact, they should be extended to the activities of the minister himself. Russian sport is seriously ill , and the story of sports walking is only a drop in the sea. True, the drop is impressive, comparable in scale and resonance with history, when the doping-disclosure of famous Russian skiers followed in Salt Lake City Games. No one talks about a certain “anti -Russian conspiracy” - in the end, in 2002, the Spaniard Johan Mullegg was disqualified, and his gold medal for the victory in the ski marathon moved to the second place to the Russian Mikhail Ivanov. And together with the Russian biathletes of the old and Yuryeva this year, German Evi Zahenbacher-Stepel was disqualified this year. But still, the scandal at the school of Viktor Chygin is an almost unique event. The departure of the coach will actually mean the cessation of the work of the Saransk Center. Is this work needed if it is established that high results are based on the systematic use of doping? The investigation, of course, will show ... But it is clear that the reputation of Russian sports does not become cleaner .