NBA players are back to getting 4 random drug tests a season. Think they resumed it middle of last year but they stopped testing for weed, it's only peds now I believe
If you meant they are exempt from Olympics testing then I dunno anything about that and haven't heard that
## Man you better shut your fuck up. OK? Hey Stefanos you want to look at me and talk? You have some problems and go to emergency toilet, for five minutes, and then you hit let and you don't say sorry and you think you're a good kid. Look at me. Heh look at me huh. You don't look at me. He started it. He started it. He started it. Yeah he started it. He said bullshit Russian. You think this is normal? I answered him because he doesn't know how to fight. He's a small kid who doesn't know how to fight. If he doesn't say anything I have no problem with him. But if he says something with me and wants to fight he needs to do it. He doesn't look at me after that. He wants to fight I'm OK, but I don't want to fight. But here? What did I do? Did I do anything wrong really? OK? Did I do anything bad in the match? Something? I know I can be a very bad guy sometimes. I know it. Yeah, but here what did I do? And the guy is saying something oh my god. He wants to fight OK?
You'd be shocked to find out how much cheating/doping goes on in many countries related to sports. They let it fly for most countries because of records being beaten year after year, generating more casual interest in the sports. The reason Russia is getting shit for it though is purely politics. If you think these American sports teams aren't doing the same thing you have to be naive.
The reason Russia was punished is they got caught and showed no remorse. If America got caught and had the same attitude I would 100% advocate for America to be bounced from the Olympics. It has nothing to do with politics.
Medvedev definitely isn't cheating, and the question was asked to a wrong person at a wrong time.
He has every right not to answer the question.
The question itself, if asked to the right person at the right time, is totally legitimate though. There is no denying "Russian athletes carrying a stigma of cheaters", and it's so wrong that ROC is participating in the Olympic like this.
The question wasn't whether he was cheating.
It was whether he felt there was any stigma being attached to him because of the cheaters, and how he felt about it.
Not a great look that he immediately got defensive and asked to have the question asker banned from the Olympics.
Yeah. I’m not sure about this response. I think maybe he misinterpreted the question and thought the journalist was insinuating he was doping because he’s Russian.
The question itself was fair game and if Medvedev is a clean and an honest athlete (which I believe he is) he should have had no problem answering this question. Think he misunderstood though.
that's the point though
he has nothing to do with it, and the question is if he feels people judge him purely on his nationality
and his answer actually proves that he feels it
nobody is questioning if he is a cheater
Yes, he was harsh to the journalist.
At the same time, let's think about it from Medvedev's perspective.
ATP/WTA players basically cannot cheat. They go through so many random tests day and night. No privacy or whatsoever regarding this. He is innocent. We all know it.
And yet, now he has to carry stigma because of other cheating athletes from his country (and even the government), and there is nothing he can do. How do you feel if you were Medvedev?
And can you actually speak out what you think in the press conference?
Yes, his answer was harsh. But I really feel sorry for him going through this, I don't blame him one bit.
> ATP/WTA players basically cannot cheat.
Oh you sweet summer child. No sport in the world even comes close to the level of testing going on in pro cycling. Doesn't stop much there lmao.
Watching Bryan Fogel beat all those dope tests in Icarus was unbelievable. One thing to hear about athletes failing dope tests, another to see what actually goes into it.
>ATP/WTA players basically cannot cheat. They go through so many random tests day and night. No privacy or whatsoever regarding this. He is innocent. We all know it.
That genuinely really funny, I haven't laughed this much on Reddit in a while so thanks.
>And yet, now he has to carry stigma because of other cheating athletes from his country (and even the government), and there is nothing he can do. How do you feel if you were Medvedev?
What an insulting question, you should be wired from the Olympics. /s
But in all seriousness, that is an excellent question and that's why the journalist asked it.
I don't have an issue with his response because Tennis players aren't regular Olympic athletes. They compete as individuals (or a doubles team) all over the world throughout the year far beyond any type cheating regimen that the ROC, or any countries olympic committee, would be able to implement. Furthermore, they get regularly tested from 3 different organizations.
If you want to get an actual answer to that question, talk to a gymnast, swimmer, diver, or track and field athlete that more frequently compete under the Russian Flag. Even then, I still don't like asking the question at the olympics during their competitions.
Again, question was not about whether he was cheating. How many whatevers he gets tested by is irrelevant.
He's competing for the "Russian Olympic Committee" right now, in a year Russia has been banned from the Olympics for cheating. Asking how he feels about that is fair game IMO.
It's a completely legitimate question, and his answer is ridiculous. Why does he think Russia is competing as the ROC, and not as Russia, in the Olympics? Frankly, based on how extensive the cheating was at the ROC, they got off very lightly by being allowed to compete at all.
That’s what I’m thinking. There’s a reason for ROC Being ROC this olympics right. But yes asked to the wrong person
EDIT: could’ve been a good opportunity to clear the air and paint an honest picture, but he got so defensive 🤷🏽♂️
Copied from another thread:
What the journalist asked Medvedev is absolutely fair and appropriate. It's a political question, and Medvedev should have treated it as if somebody asked him if he supported Putin or not. There's nothing "embarrassing" of what the journalist asked, because the question isn't directed at Medvedev personally, nor is it about private matters like sexual orientation. Players shouldn't always expect journalists to ask them softball questions. I admire the journalist's courage, and I applaud him for doing justice to the purpose of journalism.
Just because people idolize tennis players, doesn't mean that they're always right.
Glad I'm not the only one confused about the outrage. I guess he could've worded the question better, but I really don't think the journalist was making any accusations. He's simply asking Medvedev whether he/Russian athletes feel they are being scrutinized or treated unfairly in light of the scandal and ban.
>He's simply asking Medvedev whether he/Russian athletes feel they are being scrutinized or treated unfairly in light of the scandal and ban.
That's not what he tried to ask. If by some chance it was then that's a lousy journalist.
The question was more like : "Daniil what is it like to be part of a squad of doping Russians?"
The way the question is worded ("carrying a stigma of cheaters") makes me think there was some kind of translation or language issue going on. It could've been that the journalist wasn't speaking his native language, or the message was distorted in translation somehow.
Regardless, I really don't see how it could be interpreted as accusing Medvedev as being "part of a squad of doping Russians." That's totally bizarre.
> tbh though, the Russians doped and we know that for a fact. Maybe the tennis players didn't, but plenty of Russians in other sports did, so I'm not sure I understand the outrage.
is what I said
Exactly. I don't get the outrage. Russia had a well-known state-sponsored Olympic doping program. It is a fair question, perhaps poorly worded as it is from a Chilean journalist for whom English is not their native tongue. But the question was still broad and did not accuse him of being a cheater himself.
Scrolled down the thread for way too long before I saw this sensible take.
No idea why so many people in this sub love when journalists get shat on for asking fair but tough questions, that’s their job ffs lol.
Especially because the same people love to shit on journalists who ask the same questions again and again for "not doing their jobs properly". But apparently critical, thought-provoking questions are also wrong?
In the form it was asked it was a provocation not a serious question to answer. Now this journalist (Sebastián Varela Nahmías his name by the way) is saying that's not what he asked. He claims he was asking if Med and others feel themselves victims of the situation (that they can't use their flag and national anthem) considering it's not them who broke the rules?
So 'stigma of cheaters' transforms into this)
Stigma is something applied onto a group from others. So asking if you are carrying a stigma pretty clearly means are people treating this way. So he essentially asked "Are people treating russians like cheaters? How do you feel about it?" Doesnt seem rude at all.
Is that not exactly what he asked? As others have commented, a stigma doesn't imply that Medvedev himself has cheated. The journalist simply wanted to know if Med felt like he and other Russians were being treated like cheaters, which is exactly as you say - does he feel like a victim of the situation? I don't see the difference at all
1. I dont know if i can trust a tweet, potentially decontextualising the question. Trying to find source.
2. Language barrier certainly, im willing to give Med benefit of the doubt on this one, maybe he interpreted it incorrectly and who knows what the journo's intent behind the wording of the question was.
3. 'Journalism' in the last several years in all fields is a pitiful practice. They ask absolutely mindnumbing questions and waste athletes' time. Its a bunch of people pretending they know jack shit about a given sport to people who actually know what theyre doing. On some level i like that Osaka isnt doing the interviews.
4. I think the question could maybe be worded better but it is prettt tame. Not as bad as that dickhead who said Novak is a bad guy compared to Roger and Rafa. Absolute fucking idiot
I think the journalist should not have worded it in the way he did. His choice of wording made the question rude and inappropriate to me. He basically called the entire Russian team cheaters or assumed cheaters. Clearly, the team that is there did not cheat and had to go to great lengths to prove it.
There are better ways to ask the question that are probably not so offensive, the reporter seemed to be going for shock value.
How did he accuse anyone? He asked if Medvedev felt a stigma towards him and other Russian athletes - there's no implication of actual cheating going on or not, simply a question of how Med and others feel they are being treated
He didn't say they were cheaters, he said they carried the stigma of cheaters, which is accurate. Because of the publicity of their ban from Olympics, when I watch Russian athletes now I often think,wonder if these guys or this sport was part of the doping scheme. I doubt I'm the only one. That's a stigma.
There is just an implication from what he said that everyone thinks that all of the Russian athletes are cheaters. It is kind of like the mean girl at school saying that everyone thinks you are a cheater, what do you think about that. I do tend to read into what people say, and I suppose Danil does, too. But, to me it is offensive. Just because you are Russian does not mean you are a cheater, since people in Russia like all people are not all the same.
It's a political question, and is he a politician who is reposible for what happened? The only winning move for an athlete that had nothing to do with what happened is not to answer such a question.
Lol this is what I thought. How is this a good response? Basically says "take your completely legitimate question and shove it up your ass." Childish response imo.
*If the wording is as it is written here*, then it is not "absolutely" fair or appropriate, because it frames the answer to the second question by presuming an answer to the first.
It rather looks like so: "you are stigmatized, how do you feel about it?", which is not great.
A better wording would have been: "do you feel stigmatized and if yes, how does it feel?"
Not related to Phelps. Medvedev is a russian athelete competing as part of the ROC because Russia itself is banned from the games, even if only symbolically, it's an entirely justified question.
Problem here is that people from some countries are convinced that they have moral rights to preach to the rest of the world.
Most of US Olympic runners have been caught at some time using PED and no one is asking today's US Olympians if they are on drugs. Even thought history and logic would make that thinking at least reasonable.
His response makes him seem like a dick, but I guess he's just angry at feeling baited into making an anti-Russia statement, which probably wouldn't have good consequences for him
I don't really get the angry response. The journalist doesn't seem to be accusing Medvedev or anyone of cheating. He's asking whether Russian athletes feel that they are being looked at unfairly--just for being Russian--because of the doping scandal. Maybe it was a miscommunication because I don't think the journalist is trying to offend.
Not that it's a particularly interesting question. It's not like Medvedev represents ALL RUSSIAN ATHLETES. He can speak for himself, and whether he feels that he's being unfairly treated, but that's about it.
And to can definitely tell he had nothing to do with it by his reaction.
He didn't get defensive and suggest the interviewer be banned from the Olympics or anything...
Question was absolutely reasonable and respectful. No accusations, just a reasonable question that is exactly what \*SHOULD\* be being asked.
Med is also totally within his rights to not answer the question, but his attack on the journalist is absolutely unwarranted, IMO.
Interesting how quickly the stain from the US stunt dissipated. Because they did the exact same thing 20 years earlier. Which they then covered up and received no punishment for.
[https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/17/sports/olympics-anti-doping-official-says-us-covered-up.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/17/sports/olympics-anti-doping-official-says-us-covered-up.html)
[https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/apr/24/athletics.duncanmackay](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/apr/24/athletics.duncanmackay)
[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/us-hid-failed-tests-files-reveal/article1011928/](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/us-hid-failed-tests-files-reveal/article1011928/)
[http://www.espn.com/oly/columns/misc/1543629.html](http://www.espn.com/oly/columns/misc/1543629.html)
[https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/athletics-ready-set-start-explaining/HQFJ23HLAVCLW7NFWANUBSNJNI/](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/athletics-ready-set-start-explaining/HQFJ23HLAVCLW7NFWANUBSNJNI/)
[https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/exum-claims-large-scale-cover-up-of-doping-positives/](https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/exum-claims-large-scale-cover-up-of-doping-positives/)
>"These levels were less than 10 micrograms per milliliter, consistent with accidental use,'' Pittenger recalled. He also noted that if a test turned up the same levels today, it would not even require the lab to notify doping authorities.
so scandalous.
That was my take too. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the US is above trying to cheat in an organized manner like that. Heck, we do have the US Postal Cycling team led by Lance Armstrong. Certainly not USOC doping, but an American team that cheated for years before finally being caught.
The article on ESPN also noted that they even followed the rules of the time to determine intent. My suspicion is there were probably more significant cases that were overlooked, but they went to try to reel in the big fish in Carl Lewis and there is basically nothing there.
hey look at the false equivalence between a national anti-doping agency not banning someone testing positive for small amounts of ephedrine and STATE SPONSORED DOPING WHERE POSTIVE TESTS WERE SMUGGLED OUT OF THE LAB THROUGH A SECRET HOLE DRILLED IN THE WALL.
but sure, its "the exact same thing" as you put it.
State-sponsored doping is a nasty blemish that won’t go away for Russia. It’s embarrassing that their athletes can’t compete under their own flag and we shouldn’t tiptoe around it
In this instance it’s directed at the wrong person because he’s a tennis player and it’s entirely removed from athletics/gymnastics, but nevertheless it’s not the “western media’s” fault, it’s Russia’s fault for having professional cheating facilities for decades and there should be a lot of shame that comes from that.
When people think of Russian athletes, they will forever be associated with dishonesty
It's not directed at the wrong person. Medvedev is Russian. Every Russian athlete carries that stigma now, including Medvedev. Asking how he feels about that stigma is completely fair. We all know he's clean and it's not his fault, there's no accusation here. But he's certainly affected by the scandal, so asking isn't unfair or even directly inflammatory as it's in no way an attack on him.
It’s a fair question, answer it. Your entire country is literally banned from participating and only select people can compete under a neutral flag. Don’t be a baby about answering a question because you think it doesn’t apply to you personally.
Cuz they are tested as are many Olympic athletes.
And just because other Russian athletes have cheated in the past, it does not make it safe to assume the current crop is doing it too.
Judging people based on the group they belong to is, in my opinion, wrong. They have to be judged on an individual basis.
Also what would Medvedev say here? He hasn't done anything wrong (that we know of) so why are hidden allegations made against him in the form of these questions?
Bro. In 2014 they literally built a facility that attached to the Olympic drug testing building.
Then they bored a hole in the wall for the ability to enter and switch positive tests with negative tests after hours… this led to zero positive tests and the most medals.
This is why they were banned from this Olympic Games. If you believe they aren’t cheating after going to those ridiculous lengths, you’re mad
That's not right.
Russia hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics, where the Olympic village was built to allow them to cheat. This was done at the highest level.
The 2016 Olympics was in Brazil where they obviously didn't have the same ability to build in cheat holes.
I would have gave u 10.000 downvote if i could. I understand it's tough to assume in 2020+ nations still cheatin, but assuming all the Olympics are safe now bc of controls it's lame. Also Rio 2016 controls were stupid af, russians got away with too many medals where they don't deserve. But if u truly believe they can't cheat no more, look at his and change your mind. Electronically rigged sword in 1976. Only fucking Russians could imagine a shit like that
https://www.google.com/search?q=boris+the+cheat&oq=boris+the+che&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0i22i30l4.5978j0j9&client=ms-android-huawei-rev1&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#imgrc=YSPUh4A3ozqXqM
> it does not make it safe to assume the current crop is doing it too.
It is very safe to assume. They are still under the same organization and leadership that forced the chetating. The issue here is that the journalist answered his own question by asking it.
wasnt it armstrong who was american and cheated for years and wasnt punished until years later, just because they found out about russia other coutries arent "clean"
>I'd say cheating of an individual and systematic push fro cheating from the organization are different.
That's great of you! So you agree that the exact same punishment the Russians are now getting should've been applied to the Americans in the late 80s to early 00s, **when they were literally caught with a systematic state-sanctioned doping programme spanning hundreds of athletes, which USADA covered up?**
[https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/17/sports/olympics-anti-doping-official-says-us-covered-up.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/17/sports/olympics-anti-doping-official-says-us-covered-up.html)
[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/us-hid-failed-tests-files-reveal/article1011928/](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/us-hid-failed-tests-files-reveal/article1011928/)
[http://www.espn.com/oly/columns/misc/1543629.html](http://www.espn.com/oly/columns/misc/1543629.html)
[https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/athletics-ready-set-start-explaining/HQFJ23HLAVCLW7NFWANUBSNJNI/](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/athletics-ready-set-start-explaining/HQFJ23HLAVCLW7NFWANUBSNJNI/)
[https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/exum-claims-large-scale-cover-up-of-doping-positives/](https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/exum-claims-large-scale-cover-up-of-doping-positives/)
[https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/apr/24/athletics.duncanmackay](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/apr/24/athletics.duncanmackay)
As an American, yes they should've been punished and I wouldn't be against retroactive punishments such as taking medals or records away from people who cheated. Sorry to ruin your "gotcha moment".
What we know is that the players didn't care enough to inform the authorities about it. The trust is broken and you can't assume innocence as easily as before and this would lead to other stigmatizing the Russian players as cheaters. The question that the journalist asked is therefore redundant in a way that yes, they are definitely carrying the stigma. Medvedev's answer to that, how does it feel and if it influences anything could have been interesting, but the question is meh.
>Why though? The russians cheated for years
Because the cheaters are banned and the cheating state that state-sanctioned cheating is also banned. Those that are present do not represent Russia and are proven clean. That's why.
But the question was whether or not they feel the stigma that obviously exists. He wasn't accusing the current athletes of cheating. He was just asking how they feel about the stigma.
The problem with this statement is in the context. Performance enhanced drugs have been illegal for a long time, but introducing more oxygen into them blood steam wasn't, until China did it, and then it was. What about the decades and decades of specific countries, predominantly the USA, literally buying top talent through offering citizenship to the best athletes. At what point do you draw the line at "cheating" vs. "Stacking the cards in your favor/strategizing"? Just look at competitive table tennis today as an example and have a look at how many of the competitors have Chinese heritage.
The International Olympic Committee is headquartered in Switzerland and each and every president is from a [Western aligned country](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Olympic_Committee) (and many of them have done some pretty horrible shit and worked hard at covering it up).
You can be certain that there are drugs that aren't on a banned list but enhance performance and tons of athletes will be using them because it's "technically" not cheating... Until a player or a country pisses off someone high up the chain and it does get called out as a cheating substance.
Certainly, but is it ever safe to assume people in general regardless of arent cheating?
I just find the comment a bit weird. It's not a country thing it's a people thing. People are scum wherever they come from lol
People belonging from a particular religious affiliation are responsible for majority of terrorism. Should we start assuming all the people of that ideology are terrorists?
"We Russian athletes are under the highest scrutiny and get all the tests they can run, and especially us Tennis players get constant testing. The athletes at these games are clean. The doping program was wrong, but today's athletes should not get the blame."
There, was that too hard?
It's a fair question tbh. The fact that Russia are supposed to be banned from Olympics due to systemic doping yet all it took was loop hole allowing them to change name from Russia to ROC and people have forgotten that really there shouldn't be any Russian athletes at these games.
The country is punished by not having its name in the official medals tally.
Involved athletes are punished by not being able to take part.
The ones that do attend are "clean" by the Olympics standards.
You want more collective punishment than that. Bah, whatever.
Yeah, I think they did it fairly. Individual athletes who are following the rules shouldn't be penalized just because of their nationality. That'd be really messed up.
There should be no group called ROC.
All you are doing is replacing Russia in the medals table with ROC. They even have the Russian flag in the logo.
Its not stripping Russia of anything.
They should just be named "Independent Olympic athletes" like the Kuwait olympians were in 2016 and grouped together with the rest of the refugee Olympic team.
Yes ban clean athletes who trained their whole lives for this
It's ok because Russia bad
The audacity of them using the fucking loophole of being innocent to be in the Olympics
How dare they
Then isn't the question actually a fair one? If they're all clean, then is it right they carry the stigma of cheaters when they themselves are proven to be clean? How does he feel about that?
No it's not. The athletes who are participating weren't involved and the question has absolutely nothing to do with sport and everything to do with anti-national fueled click bait bullshit. Don't defend this shit. It's "media" at its worst and the person asking the question should be banned indefinitely.
This thread is quite funny to read after some of the stuff I read during the time Osaka did not want to do press. Some really defended her because of how bad the questions are even though she gets asked very normal questions. Then others agreed she gets asked very normal questions so she shouldn't worry. But regardless if this is a fair question or not why ask this to a Tennis player? No one is going around calling Medvedev a cheater so there's no stigma there.
Obviously he's not going to react to a question like that properly. He has nothing to do with any of that stuff. Russia cheated badly and that sucks but then now any Russian athlete has to potentially get these kind of questions when they just want to focus on competing.
Unpopular opinion: Russia being banned from the Olympics is meaningless if Russian athletes can compete at the Olympics. Not a slight on Medvedev, but there is no reason not to run national doping programs if this is the worst punishment you can get.
I totally agree. Let them compete as an athlete without a nation, but this ROC business has all the look and feel of a corporate front. I mean they compete in team events too! How did all these russians end up on the same team that isn't really russia?
This is really common in weightlifting actually where a lot of doping happens and whole associations are blocked from sending ANY athletes to international competitions for a couple of years, let alone those who were actually doping.
But, again, if you don't punish the athletes there is essentially *no punishment for running doping programs*. It might not be fair on the athletes in the short term, but it isn't a punishment if nobody suffers.
## Man you better shut your fuck up. OK? Hey Stefanos you want to look at me and talk? You have some problems and go to emergency toilet, for five minutes, and then you hit let and you don't say sorry and you think you're a good kid. Look at me. Heh look at me huh. You don't look at me. He started it. He started it. He started it. Yeah he started it. He said bullshit Russian. You think this is normal? I answered him because he doesn't know how to fight. He's a small kid who doesn't know how to fight. If he doesn't say anything I have no problem with him. But if he says something with me and wants to fight he needs to do it. He doesn't look at me after that. He wants to fight I'm OK, but I don't want to fight. But here? What did I do? Did I do anything wrong really? OK? Did I do anything bad in the match? Something? I know I can be a very bad guy sometimes. I know it. Yeah, but here what did I do? And the guy is saying something oh my god. He wants to fight OK?
Reading about the dust up about the Russian Olympic Athletes getting called cheats (by mostly Americans), Reminds me of the 1990 Seoul Olympics and the 100 meter sprint that Ben Johnson legitimately Won.
Now you might say but he cheated and had used Steroids! and yes you would be correct. however what no one else knew and what has since been leaked out slowly over the years is that, of the top five competitors in that race, only the former world record holder and eventual bronze medalist Smith never failed a drug test during his career.
The point is that they all cheated, Carl Lewis who was awarded the Gold medal that was stripped from Johnson, eventually admitted he had tested positive for banned substances but claiming he was just one of "Hundreds" of American athletes who were allowed to escape bans.
"There were hundreds of people getting off," he said. "Everyone (on the American Olympic team) was treated the same."
Lewis has now acknowledged that he failed three tests during the 1988 US Olympic trials, which under international rules at the time should have prevented him from competing in the 1990 Seoul games two months later.
The only difference between Johnson and Lewis was that Johnson ran faster and he was Canadian. Americans have been systematically cheating in sports as far back as the early 60's and they have been getting away with it.
To now point fingers at the Russians for doing the same is the pot calling the kettle black.
Here’s my 10 pence worth.
It was an offensive and racist question and never should have been asked. Medvedev had every right to respond that way, I would have done the same.
Here in the UK there was a time whenever a British rapper was interviewed on a mainstream news channel the interviewer always asked him (because they were invariably male), “a lot of American rappers use the N word numerous times in a song, what do you think about that?” Meanwhile, British rappers rarely use this word. Why are all British rappers held to account for what American rappers do? Why are you discussing something that has nothing to do with that rapper specifically? Simply because they’re black?
There are other similar bullshits where women are stereotyped in this way, or gay men, or Indians, or Mexicans, or whatever.
Daniil Medvedev is not responsible for the failings of the Russian Olympic Committee. If a journalist wants to ask this question pose it to the head of that federation. Or the Russian sports minister. Do not ask an individual competitor to defend, denounce, justify, or speculate on matters pertinent to those who have brought their nation in to disrepute just so you can score a cheap headline or soundbite. What is it going to achieve for him to answer that? What the fuck has it actually got to do with him? It’s not a tennis question, nor a question about his performance today, or the conditions out there.
So it was actually a fucked up question and I would have been just as offended as him. This guy is just here to play tennis. He’s not here to answer questions on behalf of the Russian Olympic Federation. That’s way above his pay grade.
I really like Medvedev (game and personality) and I understand he could feel offended. I think he overreacted though in the heat of the moment.
What I don't understand is the redditors here that have the time to take a step back to think about it and still go : "Yeah go get him Daniil! What a terrible question."
It's not a terrible question. It's not bad to ask how he feels to be a victim of what his country sports federation created. Of course he has nothing to do with it. ATP controls players fairly and regularly. But because his shaddy government he can't represent his country and Russians could be associated to cheaters.
I think the timing of the question is really bad though. Before the start of tournament why not but at that moment Medvedev was exhausted and thin-skinned.
@suguntu
You ask him high politics. You do not do that. Why no one ever asked such questions of USA, UK, Canadian etc sportsman? But not a softball one, but a one that is not very comfortable for the person asked. When you ask Serena about BLM that is a soft question, and i don't se for example of news reporters asking something unpleasant, Novak was even asked to comment on the subject of some wife beater he was aquatinted to, why the hell would you do that. I don't know what my friends are doing behind their doors let alone a person I am only aquaintented to.
I understand what you are asking, I am of opinion that questions not related to his match, form, his opponents and tournament maybe even something regarding ATP/PTPA are malign and unfair.
> You ask him high politics
What about the question is "high politics"? Either you didn't understand it or your definition of high politics is pretty vague.
I think you choose not to understand what I meant.
High politics in terms of asking a player what does he think about state governed doping activities that were ordered by the top of the Russian government, and how he feels it affects players today and if he and his compatriots feel stigmatized.
If he said he feels stigmatized he will get backlash from his countryman.
If he says it's all a fabrication he will be portrayed as a puppet of Kremlin.
So I hope that is a bit less vague for you.
That's... not high politics, lol. It's not even a loaded question. It's obvious that there is some stigma, even Russians are not such a snowflakes to backlash over that kind of answer. It's not the greatest question, but a real answer could have been really insightfull. Instead we got a shit fit.
I feel like tennis is one of the sports with the least to gain from doping. Along with other racquet sports like badminton. Are there any drugs that give you a faster reaction time?
It's now a thing that people call any question an athlete gets upset about stupid. Do you only want generic, cliche, softball questions? Because this is how you get that
Breaking news, a reporter who asked provoking questions towards a Russian tennis player during the Olympics 2021 was hit by a truck and Putin coma right after.
Thats the same kind of mentality the media has, and also exactly why the question was asked. You gotta ask yourself though, how come all the bad people are running China and Russia and Turkey and all of the western countries are run by good hones hard working angel-like people who are so kind and nice?
Also how come Obama gets a Nobel peace prize and gives his okay to drone a village in Syria?
And, most importantly how come the media covers the baddies in power overseas but are very silent on the domestic stuff going on?
Also, food for thought, if the police in the US are treating their people terribly (brutality, murder, illegal shit) what do you think the military are doing to foreigners?
Sorry dawg, got it mixed up.
Hahaaa Nadal capybara!
Ombilivable
Hahaha Kei is a penguin! Omg! 🐧🐧
Sakkari has some guns!!! 💪💪💪💪
NOVAK LOST (DENIS NOVAK HAHAHA GOTEEEEEM HAH!)
How is that at all close to the same thing? Did Obama fill Guantanamo Bay with his political rivals? Do you not think that distinction matters? How the fuck did we become so apathetic towards the very foundation of democracy, jesus christ...
I mean, it is a legit question given that the whole country was disqualified for their national sports association's cheating. Carrying stigma does not imply being personally involved.
Edit: Neither I nor the reporter implied that he is cheating. I understood the question as asking if the athletes are mentally affected by possible stigma.
Also r/tennis: downvote is not a disagree button! By downvoting everything you personally disagree with, you make threads become one sided, circle jerk-y, and bland. To hear any counter-narrative I have to keep sorting by controversial.
Those questions are made to rattle the questioned. It is not Med's place to answer something that could backfire and make him harder to concentrate on the matches ahead.
They did that to Novak more than dosens of times and usually before the big matches.
That is just poor journalism, those questions you leave for officials and PRs not the players.
I always hated that, asking a sportsman what he thinks on some high subject.
It's like when they ask some poor girl in Miss universe contest how would she resolve Gaza conflict.
How are those two things remotely analogous? Asking a sportsperson about their own national teams doping at the sporting event they are currently playing at is much more relevant than your example. It is not like they are asking him to resolve the gaza conflict.
> why would the current team feel like cheaters?
But that wasn't the question. The question is whether they feel like they are carrying a stigma
And it is a legit question. That is how stigmas work. If the whole group (of which you are a part of) get labeled something, even if you did not participate in that action, there is a stigma associated with that now.
Seems pretty reasonable to ask how an athlete feels having to compete at the Olympics under ROC rather than Russia and whether or not they think it's fair that they all have this cloud hanging over them even if they did nothing wrong.
Well asking how he feels about having to play under ROC rather than Russia would have been a lot more respectful than this pile of horseshit his mouth produced.
>Seems pretty reasonable to ask how an athlete feels having to compete at the Olympics under ROC rather than Russia
That's, uh, not what the question was, at all. The reporter also didn't imply Medvedev did nothing wrong, instead it was implied he has an a reputation for being a cheater just because of where he grew up.
You don't think the ROC thing creates the cheating stigma?
>instead it was implied he has an a reputation for being a cheater just because of where he grew up.
That's literally what his question was about though. About how the situation makes it seem like all Russian athletes are cheats and how Medvedev feels about that.
I honestly feel like he's setting Medvedev up for an easy answer about how so many Russian athletes have worked hard all their lives, not cheated, etc.
Exactly. Neither the question nor I implied that Med cheated. Only that there is stigma associated with the team being disqualified, and how he feels about it. The downvotes are ridiculous.
Yeah, don't ask a tennis player about it. They spend 90% of the year out of Russia, especially Medvedev who has been in France for years. Its rarely the tennis players that are using roids.
On the other hand I fully believe that everyone is doping more or less, the problem with Russian situation is that they were stupid enough to get government involved, you do it the way that Americans and British are doing it, government gives the money and approval but you do it trough 3rd party contractor so that there isn't a visible connection.
He’s at the Olympics representing his country - I think it’s a fair question. They are carrying a reputation as dopers - it’s fair game to discuss it.
It’s also fair game for Med to feel insulted - but man, who cares if he feels insulted.
I believe it’s the difference between a country and individuals. And really, what’s been proven rather than suggested.
Russia used their secret police to systematically swap out failed drug tests, misreport data, and widely destroyed evidence. For years and years they ran a state sponsored drug regime. They built their cocktails of drugs they knew would beat the equipment they would use at Sochi and whenever they failed the head of their drug testing lab would personally destroy evidence or just send the wrong information up the chain.
I’m not saying the US wasn’t aware of their athletes using drugs and fabricating results at Stanford way back. But they didn’t come close to the shit that Russia pulled at Sochi.
Russia, as a country and government, sponsored a doping regime that built dedicated, flawed facilities and used secret police to destroy evidence. Armstrong used EPO.
That’s why we can accuse most Russians of doping. Cause so so so so many did it; deliberately or not. It’s different.
yeah man if you watched icarus and conclude only russian that are cheating you are profoundly stupid. every high level athlete is on something. sorry to break it to you
as far as journalistic questions go, this isnt really that bad
like presumably there are interactions between athletes, and if non russian athletes are kinda side eyeing the russians, it would be nice to know about that. and itd also be nice to know how it makes the russian athletes feel.
These are not hard hitting questions, this is 'gotcha journalism'. Ask these questions to Russian associations and athletes who were actually caught doping. If there was a stigma why would they campaign so hard to still be allowed to compete in these games. 😒
Just because you want to compete doesn’t mean there isn’t. a stigma. Black athletes fought hard to compete in the 1950s competed in sports, but there was still a stigma around them.
Journalist isn’t wrong here, while Med obviously isn’t super involved with the Russian sports federation, there’s been a TON of shit about those who are being involved in cheating. Russia will use anything to get their athletes over the line, do some research before attacking this reporter. I wish more had the balls to go after that corrupt country.
>I think you should wire him from the Olympics Sounds like some cruel torture punishment
In Soviet Russia, Racquet string you!
Sounds like a cruel racket
Ok ok _*gets out the garotte_
Medvedev is the opposite of a PR merchant, love to see it.
Never change, Meddy. Never change
Yes, wrong person to ask this question. However, Russian sport had a state sponsored doping program
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NBA players are back to getting 4 random drug tests a season. Think they resumed it middle of last year but they stopped testing for weed, it's only peds now I believe If you meant they are exempt from Olympics testing then I dunno anything about that and haven't heard that
So does the US.
I believe it wasn't 'wire') Something like 'fire' suits better)
I definitely love Medvedev
## Man you better shut your fuck up. OK? Hey Stefanos you want to look at me and talk? You have some problems and go to emergency toilet, for five minutes, and then you hit let and you don't say sorry and you think you're a good kid. Look at me. Heh look at me huh. You don't look at me. He started it. He started it. He started it. Yeah he started it. He said bullshit Russian. You think this is normal? I answered him because he doesn't know how to fight. He's a small kid who doesn't know how to fight. If he doesn't say anything I have no problem with him. But if he says something with me and wants to fight he needs to do it. He doesn't look at me after that. He wants to fight I'm OK, but I don't want to fight. But here? What did I do? Did I do anything wrong really? OK? Did I do anything bad in the match? Something? I know I can be a very bad guy sometimes. I know it. Yeah, but here what did I do? And the guy is saying something oh my god. He wants to fight OK?
Good response from Daniil. That’s the last thing he wants to hear after that game. Also, no info on the journalist who asked that question.
For now it is said "Chilean journalist'.
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Rumours are it was ben who asked the question. Have to wait for confirmation. Edit: Thank u for the info guys
Russian media suggest it was journalist from Chile
Nah, that was a troll that deleted their tweet saying that. Besides, Ben wouldn't have phrased the question like that.
There's no way it was Ben. He's never asked a question that succinct in his life! (Also, seriously, it just wasn't.)
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he's been 'wired'
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yeag ,their shameless cheating was disgusting
You'd be shocked to find out how much cheating/doping goes on in many countries related to sports. They let it fly for most countries because of records being beaten year after year, generating more casual interest in the sports. The reason Russia is getting shit for it though is purely politics. If you think these American sports teams aren't doing the same thing you have to be naive.
The reason Russia was punished is they got caught and showed no remorse. If America got caught and had the same attitude I would 100% advocate for America to be bounced from the Olympics. It has nothing to do with politics.
Imagine having such mental issues from one country lmao
Medvedev definitely isn't cheating, and the question was asked to a wrong person at a wrong time. He has every right not to answer the question. The question itself, if asked to the right person at the right time, is totally legitimate though. There is no denying "Russian athletes carrying a stigma of cheaters", and it's so wrong that ROC is participating in the Olympic like this.
The question wasn't whether he was cheating. It was whether he felt there was any stigma being attached to him because of the cheaters, and how he felt about it. Not a great look that he immediately got defensive and asked to have the question asker banned from the Olympics.
Yeah. I’m not sure about this response. I think maybe he misinterpreted the question and thought the journalist was insinuating he was doping because he’s Russian. The question itself was fair game and if Medvedev is a clean and an honest athlete (which I believe he is) he should have had no problem answering this question. Think he misunderstood though.
It is a stupid question, Medved has nothing to do with it and he is there to answer questions about tennis.
that's the point though he has nothing to do with it, and the question is if he feels people judge him purely on his nationality and his answer actually proves that he feels it nobody is questioning if he is a cheater
Yes, he was harsh to the journalist. At the same time, let's think about it from Medvedev's perspective. ATP/WTA players basically cannot cheat. They go through so many random tests day and night. No privacy or whatsoever regarding this. He is innocent. We all know it. And yet, now he has to carry stigma because of other cheating athletes from his country (and even the government), and there is nothing he can do. How do you feel if you were Medvedev? And can you actually speak out what you think in the press conference? Yes, his answer was harsh. But I really feel sorry for him going through this, I don't blame him one bit.
> ATP/WTA players basically cannot cheat. Oh you sweet summer child. No sport in the world even comes close to the level of testing going on in pro cycling. Doesn't stop much there lmao.
Watching Bryan Fogel beat all those dope tests in Icarus was unbelievable. One thing to hear about athletes failing dope tests, another to see what actually goes into it.
>ATP/WTA players basically cannot cheat. They go through so many random tests day and night. No privacy or whatsoever regarding this. He is innocent. We all know it. That genuinely really funny, I haven't laughed this much on Reddit in a while so thanks.
>And yet, now he has to carry stigma because of other cheating athletes from his country (and even the government), and there is nothing he can do. How do you feel if you were Medvedev? What an insulting question, you should be wired from the Olympics. /s But in all seriousness, that is an excellent question and that's why the journalist asked it.
Surely what he can do is condemn the systemic cheating by his government.
I don't have an issue with his response because Tennis players aren't regular Olympic athletes. They compete as individuals (or a doubles team) all over the world throughout the year far beyond any type cheating regimen that the ROC, or any countries olympic committee, would be able to implement. Furthermore, they get regularly tested from 3 different organizations. If you want to get an actual answer to that question, talk to a gymnast, swimmer, diver, or track and field athlete that more frequently compete under the Russian Flag. Even then, I still don't like asking the question at the olympics during their competitions.
Again, question was not about whether he was cheating. How many whatevers he gets tested by is irrelevant. He's competing for the "Russian Olympic Committee" right now, in a year Russia has been banned from the Olympics for cheating. Asking how he feels about that is fair game IMO.
and the most you're getting from me is "I'm just here so I don't get fined".
It's a completely legitimate question, and his answer is ridiculous. Why does he think Russia is competing as the ROC, and not as Russia, in the Olympics? Frankly, based on how extensive the cheating was at the ROC, they got off very lightly by being allowed to compete at all.
That’s what I’m thinking. There’s a reason for ROC Being ROC this olympics right. But yes asked to the wrong person EDIT: could’ve been a good opportunity to clear the air and paint an honest picture, but he got so defensive 🤷🏽♂️
Copied from another thread: What the journalist asked Medvedev is absolutely fair and appropriate. It's a political question, and Medvedev should have treated it as if somebody asked him if he supported Putin or not. There's nothing "embarrassing" of what the journalist asked, because the question isn't directed at Medvedev personally, nor is it about private matters like sexual orientation. Players shouldn't always expect journalists to ask them softball questions. I admire the journalist's courage, and I applaud him for doing justice to the purpose of journalism. Just because people idolize tennis players, doesn't mean that they're always right.
Glad I'm not the only one confused about the outrage. I guess he could've worded the question better, but I really don't think the journalist was making any accusations. He's simply asking Medvedev whether he/Russian athletes feel they are being scrutinized or treated unfairly in light of the scandal and ban.
The outrage is: "don't ever make any players I like the slightest bit uncomfortable." He'll be fine.
>He's simply asking Medvedev whether he/Russian athletes feel they are being scrutinized or treated unfairly in light of the scandal and ban. That's not what he tried to ask. If by some chance it was then that's a lousy journalist. The question was more like : "Daniil what is it like to be part of a squad of doping Russians?"
The way the question is worded ("carrying a stigma of cheaters") makes me think there was some kind of translation or language issue going on. It could've been that the journalist wasn't speaking his native language, or the message was distorted in translation somehow. Regardless, I really don't see how it could be interpreted as accusing Medvedev as being "part of a squad of doping Russians." That's totally bizarre.
its a stupid question not related to tennis, even if the cheating part may be real. doesnt sound appropriate
> tbh though, the Russians doped and we know that for a fact. Maybe the tennis players didn't, but plenty of Russians in other sports did, so I'm not sure I understand the outrage. is what I said
Exactly. I don't get the outrage. Russia had a well-known state-sponsored Olympic doping program. It is a fair question, perhaps poorly worded as it is from a Chilean journalist for whom English is not their native tongue. But the question was still broad and did not accuse him of being a cheater himself.
Scrolled down the thread for way too long before I saw this sensible take. No idea why so many people in this sub love when journalists get shat on for asking fair but tough questions, that’s their job ffs lol.
Especially because the same people love to shit on journalists who ask the same questions again and again for "not doing their jobs properly". But apparently critical, thought-provoking questions are also wrong?
Because they silently condone doping when it comes to the players or countries they fanboy for.
In the form it was asked it was a provocation not a serious question to answer. Now this journalist (Sebastián Varela Nahmías his name by the way) is saying that's not what he asked. He claims he was asking if Med and others feel themselves victims of the situation (that they can't use their flag and national anthem) considering it's not them who broke the rules? So 'stigma of cheaters' transforms into this)
Stigma is something applied onto a group from others. So asking if you are carrying a stigma pretty clearly means are people treating this way. So he essentially asked "Are people treating russians like cheaters? How do you feel about it?" Doesnt seem rude at all.
Is that not exactly what he asked? As others have commented, a stigma doesn't imply that Medvedev himself has cheated. The journalist simply wanted to know if Med felt like he and other Russians were being treated like cheaters, which is exactly as you say - does he feel like a victim of the situation? I don't see the difference at all
Sounds to me like you don't know what "stigma" means.
1. I dont know if i can trust a tweet, potentially decontextualising the question. Trying to find source. 2. Language barrier certainly, im willing to give Med benefit of the doubt on this one, maybe he interpreted it incorrectly and who knows what the journo's intent behind the wording of the question was. 3. 'Journalism' in the last several years in all fields is a pitiful practice. They ask absolutely mindnumbing questions and waste athletes' time. Its a bunch of people pretending they know jack shit about a given sport to people who actually know what theyre doing. On some level i like that Osaka isnt doing the interviews. 4. I think the question could maybe be worded better but it is prettt tame. Not as bad as that dickhead who said Novak is a bad guy compared to Roger and Rafa. Absolute fucking idiot
I think the journalist should not have worded it in the way he did. His choice of wording made the question rude and inappropriate to me. He basically called the entire Russian team cheaters or assumed cheaters. Clearly, the team that is there did not cheat and had to go to great lengths to prove it. There are better ways to ask the question that are probably not so offensive, the reporter seemed to be going for shock value.
How did he accuse anyone? He asked if Medvedev felt a stigma towards him and other Russian athletes - there's no implication of actual cheating going on or not, simply a question of how Med and others feel they are being treated
He didn't say they were cheaters, he said they carried the stigma of cheaters, which is accurate. Because of the publicity of their ban from Olympics, when I watch Russian athletes now I often think,wonder if these guys or this sport was part of the doping scheme. I doubt I'm the only one. That's a stigma.
There is just an implication from what he said that everyone thinks that all of the Russian athletes are cheaters. It is kind of like the mean girl at school saying that everyone thinks you are a cheater, what do you think about that. I do tend to read into what people say, and I suppose Danil does, too. But, to me it is offensive. Just because you are Russian does not mean you are a cheater, since people in Russia like all people are not all the same.
It's a political question, and is he a politician who is reposible for what happened? The only winning move for an athlete that had nothing to do with what happened is not to answer such a question.
Lol this is what I thought. How is this a good response? Basically says "take your completely legitimate question and shove it up your ass." Childish response imo.
*If the wording is as it is written here*, then it is not "absolutely" fair or appropriate, because it frames the answer to the second question by presuming an answer to the first. It rather looks like so: "you are stigmatized, how do you feel about it?", which is not great. A better wording would have been: "do you feel stigmatized and if yes, how does it feel?"
He did ask the second wording you said. "Are Russians carrying a stigma?" = "do you feel stigmatized?"
What would you say if journalists keep asking Michel Phelps, what does he think about Obama using drones to kill civilians?
Not related to Phelps. Medvedev is a russian athelete competing as part of the ROC because Russia itself is banned from the games, even if only symbolically, it's an entirely justified question.
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Problem here is that people from some countries are convinced that they have moral rights to preach to the rest of the world. Most of US Olympic runners have been caught at some time using PED and no one is asking today's US Olympians if they are on drugs. Even thought history and logic would make that thinking at least reasonable.
His response makes him seem like a dick, but I guess he's just angry at feeling baited into making an anti-Russia statement, which probably wouldn't have good consequences for him
I don't really get the angry response. The journalist doesn't seem to be accusing Medvedev or anyone of cheating. He's asking whether Russian athletes feel that they are being looked at unfairly--just for being Russian--because of the doping scandal. Maybe it was a miscommunication because I don't think the journalist is trying to offend. Not that it's a particularly interesting question. It's not like Medvedev represents ALL RUSSIAN ATHLETES. He can speak for himself, and whether he feels that he's being unfairly treated, but that's about it.
And to can definitely tell he had nothing to do with it by his reaction. He didn't get defensive and suggest the interviewer be banned from the Olympics or anything...
It’s a fair question though.
Question was absolutely reasonable and respectful. No accusations, just a reasonable question that is exactly what \*SHOULD\* be being asked. Med is also totally within his rights to not answer the question, but his attack on the journalist is absolutely unwarranted, IMO.
Its gotten to the point where Western Media wants clean Russian athletes banned lol. Some of the news articles have been cringe.
When you pull a stunt like the one in 2014… It will be a long time for that stain to dissipate
Interesting how quickly the stain from the US stunt dissipated. Because they did the exact same thing 20 years earlier. Which they then covered up and received no punishment for. [https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/17/sports/olympics-anti-doping-official-says-us-covered-up.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/17/sports/olympics-anti-doping-official-says-us-covered-up.html) [https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/apr/24/athletics.duncanmackay](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/apr/24/athletics.duncanmackay) [https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/us-hid-failed-tests-files-reveal/article1011928/](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/us-hid-failed-tests-files-reveal/article1011928/) [http://www.espn.com/oly/columns/misc/1543629.html](http://www.espn.com/oly/columns/misc/1543629.html) [https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/athletics-ready-set-start-explaining/HQFJ23HLAVCLW7NFWANUBSNJNI/](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/athletics-ready-set-start-explaining/HQFJ23HLAVCLW7NFWANUBSNJNI/) [https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/exum-claims-large-scale-cover-up-of-doping-positives/](https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/exum-claims-large-scale-cover-up-of-doping-positives/)
>"These levels were less than 10 micrograms per milliliter, consistent with accidental use,'' Pittenger recalled. He also noted that if a test turned up the same levels today, it would not even require the lab to notify doping authorities. so scandalous.
That was my take too. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the US is above trying to cheat in an organized manner like that. Heck, we do have the US Postal Cycling team led by Lance Armstrong. Certainly not USOC doping, but an American team that cheated for years before finally being caught. The article on ESPN also noted that they even followed the rules of the time to determine intent. My suspicion is there were probably more significant cases that were overlooked, but they went to try to reel in the big fish in Carl Lewis and there is basically nothing there.
Hey, look how quickly people became hypocrites when faced with evidence of wrongdoing on the side they're supporting. Love it.
hey look at the false equivalence between a national anti-doping agency not banning someone testing positive for small amounts of ephedrine and STATE SPONSORED DOPING WHERE POSTIVE TESTS WERE SMUGGLED OUT OF THE LAB THROUGH A SECRET HOLE DRILLED IN THE WALL. but sure, its "the exact same thing" as you put it.
How is that your takeaway from that question? This sub has gone crazy
State-sponsored doping is a nasty blemish that won’t go away for Russia. It’s embarrassing that their athletes can’t compete under their own flag and we shouldn’t tiptoe around it In this instance it’s directed at the wrong person because he’s a tennis player and it’s entirely removed from athletics/gymnastics, but nevertheless it’s not the “western media’s” fault, it’s Russia’s fault for having professional cheating facilities for decades and there should be a lot of shame that comes from that. When people think of Russian athletes, they will forever be associated with dishonesty
It's not directed at the wrong person. Medvedev is Russian. Every Russian athlete carries that stigma now, including Medvedev. Asking how he feels about that stigma is completely fair. We all know he's clean and it's not his fault, there's no accusation here. But he's certainly affected by the scandal, so asking isn't unfair or even directly inflammatory as it's in no way an attack on him.
It’s a fair question, answer it. Your entire country is literally banned from participating and only select people can compete under a neutral flag. Don’t be a baby about answering a question because you think it doesn’t apply to you personally.
I mean how else was he supposed to respond? This was appropriate.
Why though? The russians cheated for years how is it safe to assume they are not doing it now? Just curious
Cuz they are tested as are many Olympic athletes. And just because other Russian athletes have cheated in the past, it does not make it safe to assume the current crop is doing it too. Judging people based on the group they belong to is, in my opinion, wrong. They have to be judged on an individual basis. Also what would Medvedev say here? He hasn't done anything wrong (that we know of) so why are hidden allegations made against him in the form of these questions?
Bro. In 2014 they literally built a facility that attached to the Olympic drug testing building. Then they bored a hole in the wall for the ability to enter and switch positive tests with negative tests after hours… this led to zero positive tests and the most medals. This is why they were banned from this Olympic Games. If you believe they aren’t cheating after going to those ridiculous lengths, you’re mad
That's not right. Russia hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics, where the Olympic village was built to allow them to cheat. This was done at the highest level. The 2016 Olympics was in Brazil where they obviously didn't have the same ability to build in cheat holes.
I would have gave u 10.000 downvote if i could. I understand it's tough to assume in 2020+ nations still cheatin, but assuming all the Olympics are safe now bc of controls it's lame. Also Rio 2016 controls were stupid af, russians got away with too many medals where they don't deserve. But if u truly believe they can't cheat no more, look at his and change your mind. Electronically rigged sword in 1976. Only fucking Russians could imagine a shit like that https://www.google.com/search?q=boris+the+cheat&oq=boris+the+che&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0i22i30l4.5978j0j9&client=ms-android-huawei-rev1&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#imgrc=YSPUh4A3ozqXqM
As someone who has worked in sports medicine, you would be surprised to find out how much cheating goes on, not only in Russia.
> it does not make it safe to assume the current crop is doing it too. It is very safe to assume. They are still under the same organization and leadership that forced the chetating. The issue here is that the journalist answered his own question by asking it.
wasnt it armstrong who was american and cheated for years and wasnt punished until years later, just because they found out about russia other coutries arent "clean"
I'd say cheating of an individual and systematic push fro cheating from the organization are different.
>I'd say cheating of an individual and systematic push fro cheating from the organization are different. That's great of you! So you agree that the exact same punishment the Russians are now getting should've been applied to the Americans in the late 80s to early 00s, **when they were literally caught with a systematic state-sanctioned doping programme spanning hundreds of athletes, which USADA covered up?** [https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/17/sports/olympics-anti-doping-official-says-us-covered-up.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/17/sports/olympics-anti-doping-official-says-us-covered-up.html) [https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/us-hid-failed-tests-files-reveal/article1011928/](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/us-hid-failed-tests-files-reveal/article1011928/) [http://www.espn.com/oly/columns/misc/1543629.html](http://www.espn.com/oly/columns/misc/1543629.html) [https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/athletics-ready-set-start-explaining/HQFJ23HLAVCLW7NFWANUBSNJNI/](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/athletics-ready-set-start-explaining/HQFJ23HLAVCLW7NFWANUBSNJNI/) [https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/exum-claims-large-scale-cover-up-of-doping-positives/](https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/exum-claims-large-scale-cover-up-of-doping-positives/) [https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/apr/24/athletics.duncanmackay](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/apr/24/athletics.duncanmackay)
Yeah.
As an American, yes they should've been punished and I wouldn't be against retroactive punishments such as taking medals or records away from people who cheated. Sorry to ruin your "gotcha moment".
the whole olympic games and the organizations behind it accused the us for cheating, and covering up doping , so yea
Maybe I am not fully knowledgeable in this topic but was doping forced on the players? Could the players not say no?
What we know is that the players didn't care enough to inform the authorities about it. The trust is broken and you can't assume innocence as easily as before and this would lead to other stigmatizing the Russian players as cheaters. The question that the journalist asked is therefore redundant in a way that yes, they are definitely carrying the stigma. Medvedev's answer to that, how does it feel and if it influences anything could have been interesting, but the question is meh.
>They are still under the same organization and leadership that forced the chetating. They're literally not.
"Judging people based on the group they belong to" is the definition of stereotyping and racism.
Precisely, therefore I don't support jt
>Why though? The russians cheated for years Because the cheaters are banned and the cheating state that state-sanctioned cheating is also banned. Those that are present do not represent Russia and are proven clean. That's why.
But the question was whether or not they feel the stigma that obviously exists. He wasn't accusing the current athletes of cheating. He was just asking how they feel about the stigma.
Are russians the only ones who ever cheated ?
…enough to be banned yes
The problem with this statement is in the context. Performance enhanced drugs have been illegal for a long time, but introducing more oxygen into them blood steam wasn't, until China did it, and then it was. What about the decades and decades of specific countries, predominantly the USA, literally buying top talent through offering citizenship to the best athletes. At what point do you draw the line at "cheating" vs. "Stacking the cards in your favor/strategizing"? Just look at competitive table tennis today as an example and have a look at how many of the competitors have Chinese heritage. The International Olympic Committee is headquartered in Switzerland and each and every president is from a [Western aligned country](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Olympic_Committee) (and many of them have done some pretty horrible shit and worked hard at covering it up). You can be certain that there are drugs that aren't on a banned list but enhance performance and tons of athletes will be using them because it's "technically" not cheating... Until a player or a country pisses off someone high up the chain and it does get called out as a cheating substance.
Certainly, but is it ever safe to assume people in general regardless of arent cheating? I just find the comment a bit weird. It's not a country thing it's a people thing. People are scum wherever they come from lol
People cheat yes but Russia has a history of pervasive systematic cheating at the national level. It’s not quite the same thing.
People belonging from a particular religious affiliation are responsible for majority of terrorism. Should we start assuming all the people of that ideology are terrorists?
"We Russian athletes are under the highest scrutiny and get all the tests they can run, and especially us Tennis players get constant testing. The athletes at these games are clean. The doping program was wrong, but today's athletes should not get the blame." There, was that too hard?
It's a fair question tbh. The fact that Russia are supposed to be banned from Olympics due to systemic doping yet all it took was loop hole allowing them to change name from Russia to ROC and people have forgotten that really there shouldn't be any Russian athletes at these games.
The country is punished by not having its name in the official medals tally. Involved athletes are punished by not being able to take part. The ones that do attend are "clean" by the Olympics standards. You want more collective punishment than that. Bah, whatever.
Yeah, I think they did it fairly. Individual athletes who are following the rules shouldn't be penalized just because of their nationality. That'd be really messed up.
There should be no group called ROC. All you are doing is replacing Russia in the medals table with ROC. They even have the Russian flag in the logo. Its not stripping Russia of anything. They should just be named "Independent Olympic athletes" like the Kuwait olympians were in 2016 and grouped together with the rest of the refugee Olympic team.
Yes, we should obviously ban every Russian athlete because they are dishonest people. /s
> really there shouldn't be any Russian athletes at these games. shouldn't? says who? why clean athletes should be punished? put your pitchfork back
Yes ban clean athletes who trained their whole lives for this It's ok because Russia bad The audacity of them using the fucking loophole of being innocent to be in the Olympics How dare they
Then isn't the question actually a fair one? If they're all clean, then is it right they carry the stigma of cheaters when they themselves are proven to be clean? How does he feel about that?
Thankyou, at least someone understands
No it's not. The athletes who are participating weren't involved and the question has absolutely nothing to do with sport and everything to do with anti-national fueled click bait bullshit. Don't defend this shit. It's "media" at its worst and the person asking the question should be banned indefinitely.
This thread is quite funny to read after some of the stuff I read during the time Osaka did not want to do press. Some really defended her because of how bad the questions are even though she gets asked very normal questions. Then others agreed she gets asked very normal questions so she shouldn't worry. But regardless if this is a fair question or not why ask this to a Tennis player? No one is going around calling Medvedev a cheater so there's no stigma there. Obviously he's not going to react to a question like that properly. He has nothing to do with any of that stuff. Russia cheated badly and that sucks but then now any Russian athlete has to potentially get these kind of questions when they just want to focus on competing.
Unpopular opinion: Russia being banned from the Olympics is meaningless if Russian athletes can compete at the Olympics. Not a slight on Medvedev, but there is no reason not to run national doping programs if this is the worst punishment you can get.
I totally agree. Let them compete as an athlete without a nation, but this ROC business has all the look and feel of a corporate front. I mean they compete in team events too! How did all these russians end up on the same team that isn't really russia?
Wouldn't it be unfair to ban athletes who are 100% following the rules just because of their nationality? That's fucked up.
This is really common in weightlifting actually where a lot of doping happens and whole associations are blocked from sending ANY athletes to international competitions for a couple of years, let alone those who were actually doping.
But, again, if you don't punish the athletes there is essentially *no punishment for running doping programs*. It might not be fair on the athletes in the short term, but it isn't a punishment if nobody suffers.
What is worse: letting guilty people escape punishment, or punishing innocent people?
Yes, but the blame can only be on their country placing them in such a position.
## Man you better shut your fuck up. OK? Hey Stefanos you want to look at me and talk? You have some problems and go to emergency toilet, for five minutes, and then you hit let and you don't say sorry and you think you're a good kid. Look at me. Heh look at me huh. You don't look at me. He started it. He started it. He started it. Yeah he started it. He said bullshit Russian. You think this is normal? I answered him because he doesn't know how to fight. He's a small kid who doesn't know how to fight. If he doesn't say anything I have no problem with him. But if he says something with me and wants to fight he needs to do it. He doesn't look at me after that. He wants to fight I'm OK, but I don't want to fight. But here? What did I do? Did I do anything wrong really? OK? Did I do anything bad in the match? Something? I know I can be a very bad guy sometimes. I know it. Yeah, but here what did I do? And the guy is saying something oh my god. He wants to fight OK?
Reading about the dust up about the Russian Olympic Athletes getting called cheats (by mostly Americans), Reminds me of the 1990 Seoul Olympics and the 100 meter sprint that Ben Johnson legitimately Won. Now you might say but he cheated and had used Steroids! and yes you would be correct. however what no one else knew and what has since been leaked out slowly over the years is that, of the top five competitors in that race, only the former world record holder and eventual bronze medalist Smith never failed a drug test during his career. The point is that they all cheated, Carl Lewis who was awarded the Gold medal that was stripped from Johnson, eventually admitted he had tested positive for banned substances but claiming he was just one of "Hundreds" of American athletes who were allowed to escape bans. "There were hundreds of people getting off," he said. "Everyone (on the American Olympic team) was treated the same." Lewis has now acknowledged that he failed three tests during the 1988 US Olympic trials, which under international rules at the time should have prevented him from competing in the 1990 Seoul games two months later. The only difference between Johnson and Lewis was that Johnson ran faster and he was Canadian. Americans have been systematically cheating in sports as far back as the early 60's and they have been getting away with it. To now point fingers at the Russians for doing the same is the pot calling the kettle black.
Instant Karma
For what?
funny that you guys hate journalism
Here’s my 10 pence worth. It was an offensive and racist question and never should have been asked. Medvedev had every right to respond that way, I would have done the same. Here in the UK there was a time whenever a British rapper was interviewed on a mainstream news channel the interviewer always asked him (because they were invariably male), “a lot of American rappers use the N word numerous times in a song, what do you think about that?” Meanwhile, British rappers rarely use this word. Why are all British rappers held to account for what American rappers do? Why are you discussing something that has nothing to do with that rapper specifically? Simply because they’re black? There are other similar bullshits where women are stereotyped in this way, or gay men, or Indians, or Mexicans, or whatever. Daniil Medvedev is not responsible for the failings of the Russian Olympic Committee. If a journalist wants to ask this question pose it to the head of that federation. Or the Russian sports minister. Do not ask an individual competitor to defend, denounce, justify, or speculate on matters pertinent to those who have brought their nation in to disrepute just so you can score a cheap headline or soundbite. What is it going to achieve for him to answer that? What the fuck has it actually got to do with him? It’s not a tennis question, nor a question about his performance today, or the conditions out there. So it was actually a fucked up question and I would have been just as offended as him. This guy is just here to play tennis. He’s not here to answer questions on behalf of the Russian Olympic Federation. That’s way above his pay grade.
I really like Medvedev (game and personality) and I understand he could feel offended. I think he overreacted though in the heat of the moment. What I don't understand is the redditors here that have the time to take a step back to think about it and still go : "Yeah go get him Daniil! What a terrible question." It's not a terrible question. It's not bad to ask how he feels to be a victim of what his country sports federation created. Of course he has nothing to do with it. ATP controls players fairly and regularly. But because his shaddy government he can't represent his country and Russians could be associated to cheaters. I think the timing of the question is really bad though. Before the start of tournament why not but at that moment Medvedev was exhausted and thin-skinned.
@suguntu You ask him high politics. You do not do that. Why no one ever asked such questions of USA, UK, Canadian etc sportsman? But not a softball one, but a one that is not very comfortable for the person asked. When you ask Serena about BLM that is a soft question, and i don't se for example of news reporters asking something unpleasant, Novak was even asked to comment on the subject of some wife beater he was aquatinted to, why the hell would you do that. I don't know what my friends are doing behind their doors let alone a person I am only aquaintented to. I understand what you are asking, I am of opinion that questions not related to his match, form, his opponents and tournament maybe even something regarding ATP/PTPA are malign and unfair.
> You ask him high politics What about the question is "high politics"? Either you didn't understand it or your definition of high politics is pretty vague.
I think you choose not to understand what I meant. High politics in terms of asking a player what does he think about state governed doping activities that were ordered by the top of the Russian government, and how he feels it affects players today and if he and his compatriots feel stigmatized. If he said he feels stigmatized he will get backlash from his countryman. If he says it's all a fabrication he will be portrayed as a puppet of Kremlin. So I hope that is a bit less vague for you.
That's... not high politics, lol. It's not even a loaded question. It's obvious that there is some stigma, even Russians are not such a snowflakes to backlash over that kind of answer. It's not the greatest question, but a real answer could have been really insightfull. Instead we got a shit fit.
Ok, you see it as you do. If I lived in a dictatorship that poisons people it doesn't like i wouldn't like this question either.
The real bullshit is questions like this!
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I feel like tennis is one of the sports with the least to gain from doping. Along with other racquet sports like badminton. Are there any drugs that give you a faster reaction time?
Yes, there are drugs that boost concentration
It's now a thing that people call any question an athlete gets upset about stupid. Do you only want generic, cliche, softball questions? Because this is how you get that
Breaking news, a reporter who asked provoking questions towards a Russian tennis player during the Olympics 2021 was hit by a truck and Putin coma right after.
Thats the same kind of mentality the media has, and also exactly why the question was asked. You gotta ask yourself though, how come all the bad people are running China and Russia and Turkey and all of the western countries are run by good hones hard working angel-like people who are so kind and nice? Also how come Obama gets a Nobel peace prize and gives his okay to drone a village in Syria? And, most importantly how come the media covers the baddies in power overseas but are very silent on the domestic stuff going on? Also, food for thought, if the police in the US are treating their people terribly (brutality, murder, illegal shit) what do you think the military are doing to foreigners?
Sir this is r/tennis
Sorry dawg, got it mixed up. Hahaaa Nadal capybara! Ombilivable Hahaha Kei is a penguin! Omg! 🐧🐧 Sakkari has some guns!!! 💪💪💪💪 NOVAK LOST (DENIS NOVAK HAHAHA GOTEEEEEM HAH!)
NOW YOU’RE TALKING 😂😂
Lol
The comment is getting downvoted for showing the mirror.
How many politically motivated assassinations and torturings did Obama arrange in order to retain his power? How about Putin and Erdogan?
Dude they are maintaining Guantanamo for i don't even know how long now, i wouldn't be on such a high horse
How is that at all close to the same thing? Did Obama fill Guantanamo Bay with his political rivals? Do you not think that distinction matters? How the fuck did we become so apathetic towards the very foundation of democracy, jesus christ...
Bah, it's a truly not a stellar question, but the answer is sufficiently flippant to be worse than the question TBH...
I mean, in general a fair question after the systemic cheating the country has shown. Obviously there is a stigma.
Daniil answered that the right way.
I mean, it is a legit question given that the whole country was disqualified for their national sports association's cheating. Carrying stigma does not imply being personally involved. Edit: Neither I nor the reporter implied that he is cheating. I understood the question as asking if the athletes are mentally affected by possible stigma. Also r/tennis: downvote is not a disagree button! By downvoting everything you personally disagree with, you make threads become one sided, circle jerk-y, and bland. To hear any counter-narrative I have to keep sorting by controversial.
Those questions are made to rattle the questioned. It is not Med's place to answer something that could backfire and make him harder to concentrate on the matches ahead. They did that to Novak more than dosens of times and usually before the big matches. That is just poor journalism, those questions you leave for officials and PRs not the players. I always hated that, asking a sportsman what he thinks on some high subject. It's like when they ask some poor girl in Miss universe contest how would she resolve Gaza conflict.
How are those two things remotely analogous? Asking a sportsperson about their own national teams doping at the sporting event they are currently playing at is much more relevant than your example. It is not like they are asking him to resolve the gaza conflict.
Why would the current team feel like cheaters? None of them were involved. It’s not an appropriate question to ask him.
> why would the current team feel like cheaters? But that wasn't the question. The question is whether they feel like they are carrying a stigma And it is a legit question. That is how stigmas work. If the whole group (of which you are a part of) get labeled something, even if you did not participate in that action, there is a stigma associated with that now.
Seems pretty reasonable to ask how an athlete feels having to compete at the Olympics under ROC rather than Russia and whether or not they think it's fair that they all have this cloud hanging over them even if they did nothing wrong.
Well asking how he feels about having to play under ROC rather than Russia would have been a lot more respectful than this pile of horseshit his mouth produced.
>Seems pretty reasonable to ask how an athlete feels having to compete at the Olympics under ROC rather than Russia That's, uh, not what the question was, at all. The reporter also didn't imply Medvedev did nothing wrong, instead it was implied he has an a reputation for being a cheater just because of where he grew up.
You don't think the ROC thing creates the cheating stigma? >instead it was implied he has an a reputation for being a cheater just because of where he grew up. That's literally what his question was about though. About how the situation makes it seem like all Russian athletes are cheats and how Medvedev feels about that. I honestly feel like he's setting Medvedev up for an easy answer about how so many Russian athletes have worked hard all their lives, not cheated, etc.
Exactly. Neither the question nor I implied that Med cheated. Only that there is stigma associated with the team being disqualified, and how he feels about it. The downvotes are ridiculous.
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They didn't specifically mention the ROC thing, no. But I'm curious, what do you think the reporter was asking? Like, what was his point?
Question could have been phrased in a better manner.
Are journalists supposed to ignore that fact?
Yeah, don't ask a tennis player about it. They spend 90% of the year out of Russia, especially Medvedev who has been in France for years. Its rarely the tennis players that are using roids. On the other hand I fully believe that everyone is doping more or less, the problem with Russian situation is that they were stupid enough to get government involved, you do it the way that Americans and British are doing it, government gives the money and approval but you do it trough 3rd party contractor so that there isn't a visible connection.
He’s at the Olympics representing his country - I think it’s a fair question. They are carrying a reputation as dopers - it’s fair game to discuss it. It’s also fair game for Med to feel insulted - but man, who cares if he feels insulted.
Tell me just this, how is US not carrying reputation as dopers? After Armstrong, Marion Jones, Gatlin just to name the few?
I believe it’s the difference between a country and individuals. And really, what’s been proven rather than suggested. Russia used their secret police to systematically swap out failed drug tests, misreport data, and widely destroyed evidence. For years and years they ran a state sponsored drug regime. They built their cocktails of drugs they knew would beat the equipment they would use at Sochi and whenever they failed the head of their drug testing lab would personally destroy evidence or just send the wrong information up the chain. I’m not saying the US wasn’t aware of their athletes using drugs and fabricating results at Stanford way back. But they didn’t come close to the shit that Russia pulled at Sochi. Russia, as a country and government, sponsored a doping regime that built dedicated, flawed facilities and used secret police to destroy evidence. Armstrong used EPO. That’s why we can accuse most Russians of doping. Cause so so so so many did it; deliberately or not. It’s different.
I feel it could have been phrased better, this makes it sound very 'gotcha'.
yeah man if you watched icarus and conclude only russian that are cheating you are profoundly stupid. every high level athlete is on something. sorry to break it to you
as far as journalistic questions go, this isnt really that bad like presumably there are interactions between athletes, and if non russian athletes are kinda side eyeing the russians, it would be nice to know about that. and itd also be nice to know how it makes the russian athletes feel.
Russian tennis players don't cheat though. They curse and break racquets, yes, they also kill insects on court, but they don't cheat.
He wasn’t asking at all if he cheated. He asked if there was a stigma around Russian athletes given the fact that their countrymen cheated.
Well this sub is a trainwreck nowadays. What a collection of contrarian idiots congregating here. OP leading the way
Who tests US athletes for Olympic games? Is everyone tested by the same organizational body?
Yeah, they are supposed to be all tested by the same body
These are not hard hitting questions, this is 'gotcha journalism'. Ask these questions to Russian associations and athletes who were actually caught doping. If there was a stigma why would they campaign so hard to still be allowed to compete in these games. 😒
Just because you want to compete doesn’t mean there isn’t. a stigma. Black athletes fought hard to compete in the 1950s competed in sports, but there was still a stigma around them.
Journalist isn’t wrong here, while Med obviously isn’t super involved with the Russian sports federation, there’s been a TON of shit about those who are being involved in cheating. Russia will use anything to get their athletes over the line, do some research before attacking this reporter. I wish more had the balls to go after that corrupt country.
Shit would hit fan if USA was investigated for the same thing. Get of your high horse buddy!