Please Help Support Russian Whistleblowers Vitaly Stepanov And Yulia Stepanova

pop_pop!_v2.2.1 wrote:

Mr. Obvious wrote:

So, yes, all of these things point to the IAAF needing to help the Stepanov's. The silence is deafening.

It cannot be any clearer that these are not the actions of a sports federation.

It's an entertainment distributor that had an actor air some dirty laundry. Let's just be done with the charade this is a sport. It's WWE.

Yep, Truman's boat hit the wall and the producers are scrabbling to re-establish the artifice.

#dontdamagetheproduct #omerta

Come on wrote:

Honestly, I don't see the justice in trying to get a convicted doper eligible for the Games on the strength of her involvement in 'naming' other athletes never mind whether all or some or any of those athletes have failed tests.

Yuriy Borzakovskiy pointed out a couple of months ago there are a lot of allegations and not many facts. One fact is that she doped. The other fact is that shortly after she gets her suspension she starts a story that paints her in a much better light.

She served her complete suspension. She was also eligible for a sentence reduction for cooperation WHICH SHE DECLINED, opting to serve her full term. She is now living in hiding in a foreign country. These are not the actions of someone acting out of self interest.

The only reason she is ineligible to compete is that, on the basis of information that she provided, the IOC has decided that no Russian athletes with prior doping violations may compete in Rio. If she had kept her mouth shut, she would still be eligible. The IOC has punished her for whistleblowing.

Thanks for the reply. Again, I think Yulia should be able to compete if she's eligible, and the Stepanov's shouldn't have to live in fear or poverty as a result of their help.But am I off-base with Shobukhova's? I'm wondering, why are the Stepanov's lives in danger, while the Shobukhova's are not. Did the Shobukhova's flee into hiding? Seems strange as both were featured in the ARD documentaries. Does no one else see the disparity? Shobukhova's testimony was highly relevant too, resulting in 3 lifetime bans and a 5 year ban, and triggering more investigations.If we look at the two whistleblowers:Stepanov's:- Stepanov's went to WADA, who are not policemen, but rule makers. They deal with rules and compliance of labs, federations, and NADOs, not individual athletes.- After years of slow progress, WADA eventually re-directed them to the ARD, gift wrapping them in a basket, and ringing Hajo's doorbell.- The ARD documentaries triggered the WADA Independent Commission investigation.- Eventually who got punished as a result? All Russian athletes, and none of the main perpetrators (I guess some coaches were banned, like racewalking).Shobukhova's:- Lodged a complaint with the newly formed IAAF Ethics Commission.- After a long investigation, who got punished? The perpetrators of the corruption. Three perpetrators got lifetime bans, and one who let it happen, got a 5 year ban.- And after some rule changes that would allow it, the IAAF has initiated follow up investigations on others who were not part of the original complaint.Actually, I can see why Russian athletes like Isenbeyeva are so upset with the Stepanov's. Some athletes were already victims of state-mandated doping, and now all athletes have become victims of a national ban on the guilty and innocent alike, for something they had very little control over.Seems to me, (despite what WADA IC recommended and the IAAF accepted) that the Stepanov's problems are the making of WADA, and the ARD.That's who they "blew the whistle" at. Hajo Seppelt got awards and accolades, and WADA is getting more power and funding.The Stepanov's outed the Russian state-mandated doping, not the IAAF extortion attempts. Unless the Stepanov's paid bribes that ended up in Diack's pocket, they were not really harmed by the IAAF.If the IAAF supports any whistleblowers, it should be the one that came to them, the Shobukhova's.Of course, letsrun.com should feel free to crowd-fund who they want...

Mr. Obvious wrote:

You should fund the Shobukhova's if you wish to.

Well, IAAF was on the take from Russia to cover-up their doping, so that implicates the IAAF in the dangers the Stepanov's face.

The Independent Commission report explicitly called on IAAF to provide assistance to the Stepanov's and IAAF has said they accepted all of the report without reservation.

Seb Coe had said that he would meet w/ the Stepanovs. He also has repeatedly called for other whistle-blowers to step forward, but has taken absolutely no steps to support the ones who already have.

Dick Pound said his support for Seb Coe being the right man to help the IAAF was predicated on the IAAF following all of the recommendations in the Commission report.

So, yes, all of these things point to the IAAF needing to help the Stepanov's. The silence is deafening.

Nope, no way, not going to happen! Convicted dopers shouldn't be in the Olympics. Did she give back all the money she won while doping. I don't think so. This is a convicted criminal that snitched so that she might have a chance to compete in the Olympics. Boo hoo. Don't sign the petition for a criminal to get into the Olympics.

No way in hell do I support these dopers in the Olympics. BAN FOR LIFE!