Olympia: Yevgeny Kafelnikov would play under a neutral flag
WADA's decision to exclude Russia from the next two Olympic Games also has an impact on tennis.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Dec 13, 2019, 12:24 pm
The fact that the world doping agency WADA announced on Monday that Russian athletes will not be allowed to take part in any major sporting events in the next four years is of course only one side of the coin. In truth, as in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, the Olympic Games in Tokyo will see a larger line-up of Russian medal contenders, and then again under a neutral flag. And without playing the national anthem in case of success.
The media excitement in Russia is nevertheless great, after all there is no admission by the responsible officials that state doping has actually been carried out. But that is exactly what Yevgeny Kafelnikov, former number one in the world, Olympic champion 2020 in Sydney and now head of the Russian tennis association demands. "There was this doping system in Russia, I have no doubt about it," Kafelnikov told the sport-express.ru portal. "Someone has to be punished for that."
"Russian sport could restore its good reputation if the people who started this system simply said: 'Yes, we made a mistake, please forgive us.' But nobody wants to take responsibility for it." ultimately only the athletes. "If I had this dilemma in front of me: going to the Olympics under a neutral flag or refusing to play for the National Team, I would compete under the neutral flag. The Olympic Games should be a priority for any athlete with self-respect. ”