Friday, March 29

What is the Republic of China in the Olympics? Here’s why Team Russia is competing under that title in Beijing


It is usually quite easy to identify which countries are competing in the Olympics. But during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, many may be wondering what exactly the ROC is.

ROC is, essentially, Russia’s code name at the 2022 Winter Games. It marks the third consecutive Olympics during which Russia has had to go by a different name. The country was known as the Olympic Athletes of Russia (OAR) during the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games and at the 2021 Tokyo Games, they went through the Republic of China.

Why did Russia have to change its name in the last Olympic Games? It stems from a doping scandal that has dogged the country since 2015 and resulted in a ban from Olympic competition.

Originally, the ban was supposed to be harsh and long-term. However, it has since been shortened, and Beijing 2022 will be the last Olympics during which Russia will have to use an alternative name.

Here’s everything you need to know about the ROC, including why Russian athletes can still compete during the Olympics despite the country being banned.

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What does ROC mean?

ROC stands for “Russian Olympic Committee”. Russian athletes were recognized under this flag during the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games and will continue to compete as the “Russian Olympic Committee” at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games.

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Why don’t athletes compete under the Russian flag?

Athletes do not compete under the Russian flag due to a punishment handed down by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Russia had originally been banned for four years from Olympic action, but at the end of 2020, that punishment was reduced to two years.

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During that two-year period, athletes who were not involved in the Russian doping scandal can still compete in Olympic competition. That is why there are 212 Russians competing in the 2022 Olympics.

However, the Russians have to compete as neutrals and are not allowed to display any national emblems or symbols. They also do not compete under the Russian flag, nor will the country’s national anthem be played during the Olympics. However, they will wear uniforms incorporating the colors of the country’s flag, much to WADA’s dismay.

“We at WADA remain disappointed that [the Court of Arbitration for Sport] has lowered the level of sanctions from four years to two years and that the CAS allows them to compete with Russian athletes with the colors of the flag on their uniforms,” WADA President Witold Bańka said before the Games. Summer of 2021, according to USA TODAY Sports.

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Timeline of Russia’s doping ban

The Russian doping ban grew out of a 2015 independent commission organized by WADA. It was led by the agency’s former president, Dick Pound, and revealed that Russia had been running and supporting a doping program. This was backed up in 2016 after whistleblower Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov told the New York Times how Russia’s state doping helped them perform well at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

A July 2016 investigation by WADA confirmed “beyond a reasonable doubt” that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) had worked with other state agencies to cover up positive tests.

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WADA recommended that Russia be banned from the 2016 Rio Olympics, but the IOC rejected the recommendation. Instead, the CAS referees decided which athletes would and would not participate in the Games. As a result, 278 Russian athletes were acquitted while 111 were eliminated.

In December 2017, the IOC announced that Russia was expelled from the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics. However, its athletes were allowed to compete as neutrals under the Olympic Athlete of Russia (OAR) banner during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. 2018.

RUSADA faced another suspension from WADA after inconsistencies in anti-doping data were discovered during a 2019 investigation. WADA President Sir Craig Reedie explained the decision to enforce the four-year ban that came about due to to the manipulation of data by RUSADA.

“For too long, Russian doping has detracted from clean sport. The blatant failure by the Russian authorities to comply with the conditions for Rusada’s reinstatement demanded a forceful response. That is exactly what has been delivered,” Reedie said, according to the BBC.

“Russia had every opportunity to put its house in order and rejoin the global anti-doping community for the sake of its athletes and the integrity of sport, but chose to continue its stance of deception and denial.”

Russia appealed the suspension and saw it reduced to two years. It was left intact for the 2021 and 2022 Olympics, so it will compete under the ROC flag due to the ban.




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