7msports > Athletics Video > Pound: "Russia has to bite the bullet"

Pound: "Russia has to bite the bullet"

Friday, November 20 2015 by SNTV
  • Dick Pound said that Russia should be able to fix its anti-doping system in time to send a team to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, but warned " they've gotta bite the bullet and go full speed ahead in order to get all this done in time for Rio. If they start fighting over it, fine, fine, take your time. All the time you want. By the way, you're not gonna get to work on your suntan next summer."

    SOUNDBITE: (English) Dick Pound, report author, anti-doping corruption in Russia:

    "I don't think you'll get the culture fixed in nine months, but you can do actions that will come to the same result. In a sense, I don't care whether you're there with clean athletes, if the only reason you're there with clean athletes is the fear of getting caught, as opposed to thinking that's the right thing to do. Listen, Russia built Sochi in seven years, so this is childsplay. All you need is some direction from the political authorities to say, Look, RUSADA is independent, the lab is independent and anybody who doesn't make that happen is in trouble'. And same with the coaches, say, Folks, the old Soviet system is over. We're not going to do that anymore. And if that's your method of coaching, don't let the door hit your butt on the way out."

    SOUNDBITE: (English) Dick Pound, report author, anti-doping corruption in Russia:

    "I would say this, if they want to be there for Rio they've got to really act, they've gotta bite the bullet and go full speed ahead in order to get all this done in time for Rio. If they start fighting over it, fine, fine, take your time. All the time you want. By the way, you're not gonna get to work on your suntan next summer."

    SOUNDBITE: (English) Dick Pound, report author, anti-doping corruption in Russia:

    "Well, it's clearly a problem that there have been a number of countries that have been identified by others as being problematic, including Russia. I think one of the things around the table is you have to say, Russia is not the only country in the world with this problem, so let's not try and make it look like we think that is the case. We know about Turkey, we know about Kenya, we know about others. So you've got to be somewhat evenhanded in an international organisation and make sure that you're not just picking on one country, even if that country has a major problem.''

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