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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-sports/42242007

More than 1,000 Russian athletes across over 30 sports – including football – were involved in or benefitted from state-sponsored doping between 2011 and 2015, it has been revealed. A second report by the respected Canadian law professor Richard McLaren, published in London on Friday morning, also found evidence of male DNA in two female hockey players’ urine samples – which he said provided “incontrovertible confirmation that the original samples had been tampered with and swapped”. McLaren described Russia as having deliberately conducted “an institutional conspiracy across summer and winter sports” which produced “a cover-up that operated on an unprecedented scale.” Speaking in regards to London 2012, McLaren said: “The Russian Olympic team corrupted the London Games on an unprecedented scale.” He added: “It it impossible to know just how deep and how far back this conspiracy goes. For years, international sports competitions have unknowingly been hijacked by the Russians. Coaches and athletes have been playing on an uneven field. Sports fans and spectators have been deceived.” McLaren’s first report in July had examined how major events in Russia, including the 2013 world athletics champions and the Winter Olympics a year later, had been corrupted by the Russian government. As McLaren explained, the Russian ministry of sport had “directed, controlled and oversaw” the swapping of positive doping samples with clean ones, working with the FSB and the supposedly independent Russian Anti-Doping Agency. McLaren’s second report built on that report, with far more information derived from interviews, databases, emails and the review of over 4,000 Excel spreadsheets – many of which he has published on the website: www.ipevidencedisclosurepackage.net. “We are now able not only to confirm the findings of the first report but also to put them into sharper and clearer focus,” added McLaren. “We are increasing the number of athletes involved, as well as the scope and conspiracy and cover up. A cover up that dates back to at least 2011 and continued after the Sochi Winter Games. A cover up that evolved over the years from uncontrolled chaos to an institutionalised and disciplined medal-winning and conspiracy. A cover up that operated on an unprecedented scale.” https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/dec/09/more-than-1000-russian-athletes-benefitted-from-state-sponsored-doping

This makes very little sense to me. What's the point of this other than an over-reaction to a one-time situation? http://olympictalk.nbcsports.com/2015/04/07/russia-law-olympics-ban-yelena-isinbayeva-evgeni-plushenko-maria-sharapova-alex-ovechkin/

This topic is for any Russia 2018 Stadium news and updates. Here is the latest images from a few days ago on the progress of the Zenit Arena in St Petersburg - http://stadiumdb.com/constructions/rus/gazprom_arena - Source: StadiumDB.com. Personally, I don't like the design of the Zenit Arena, it will have quite a few blindspots and the facade will look boring.

Again Thanks for the Image made by Woo Hoo last day of the group stage I expect many people to be be on here. Will US and Germany battle it out or both play for a draw or will Portugal or Ghana make a miraculous comeback. And who will be The Group G winners opponents. It's going to be a great last day the end of the Group Stage under 2 and a half weeks to the Final!

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Go, Algeria! Go!

Russia has mobilised its forces along its border with Ukraine. Would Putin have the balls to occupy eastern Ukraine and the Crimea on the pretext of protecting the ethnic Russian population, if Kiev starts cosying up to the EU as seems likely? I suspect Ukraine is so important to Putin's plans for a Russian sphere of influence to buffer against the west that this is a distinct possibility. I fear how the west would react. I very much doubt an armed conflict would ensue but it would be interesting to speculate how the rest of Europe, the US and the world at large would react to such a crisis. Economic sanctions and a UN action of some kind?

Just done some research and noticed Russia wants to Bid for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. Kazan and St Petersburg have both proposed visions to Bid. If they were, who would you support? Kazan or St Petersburg. I would personally support Kazan, as it would be a great backdrop from the 2013 Summer Universiade and is a beautiful city. Kazan is the Capital of Sport in Russia.

The 62nd Annual Miss Universe pageant will be held at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Russia on November 9th. For the first time in pageant history, the event will be shown delayed in the US. 86 contestants will be taking part for the chance to be crowned Miss Universe 2013. The outgoing titleholder is Olivia Culpo or Cranston, Rhode Island, USA. Venue: Hosts: Thomas Roberts and Melanie Brown Current Miss Universe: Olivia Culpo; Cranston, Rhode Island, USA

Hosting Olympic winter sports requires a few things, many of which money can buy (venues, equipment, etc.). But one thing that cannot be bought is weather. Cold weather. And Snow. The average night temperature at Krasnaya Polyana where the Olympic Sliding Center is located is about 21-25 degrees. That is JUST at the end of the temperature zone to hold a refrigerated track. I think it was enormously short-sighted for the IOC to accept that. This year--right now in Feb 2013--the Bobsled and Skeleton World Cup is at the Sanki center. It is over 40 degrees every NIGHT, warmer during the day. Yes, you can say that this is just a warm year, but I don't think so. I think this site was ill-chosen and I believe the IOC either did not consult the International Governing Bodies (in this case, the FIBT) or simply overlooked this tiny detail. It is critical that the IOC pay attention to these environmental issues. The Olympic Games are not a big party--they are important competitions! Logic demands that the metrics for good competitive features should be FIRST!