burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

I agree. She's the victim of a system that uses athletes to boost national pride... a pawn in a sports chess game. Russian competitors are expected to win. They are treated harshly when they don't. Unfortunately, the Russians historically have had a "win at all costs" mentality. Hence, they dope athletes with performance enhancing drugs.

I don't think it political to care about kids. She should not have been doped, made a fool of, yelled at, or abused in any way.

Will the IOC do anything? I doubt it.

bobforman Loc: Anacortes, Washington State

Jerry Brewer's commentary in Friday's paper on this thorny issue hits the nail on the head and is some of the most eloquent sports writing I've ever read.

koratcat

Reuss Griffiths Loc: Ravenna, Ohio

Much of the criticism here has been directed towards the Russians and their long history of cheating in athletic competitions and they deserve it and some harsh penalties should be applied to their international sporting efforts. But they are not the only ones who are culpable here. Many have stated that she broke the rules and rules are rules. She tested positive for this drug on Christmas day. Seven weeks later at the Olympics, she tested negative. What if she tested positive 6 months ago? 2 yrs ago? 10 yrs ago? 20 yrs ago. Is it all the same. Should someone be banned for life for a single infraction of the rules. Seems rather harsh and needs better definition by the international sporting associations. Our ability to detect these substances is vastly improved over the last 30 years. It used to be we could detect chemicals at the parts per million levels but today we can find them at parts per billion or parts per trillion. That's a million times more sensitive. That brings up issues like cross contamination, false positives, or unintentional imbibing of these chemicals in ordinary foods. Regulations need to be changed to reflect these capabilities and set greater than levels for action.

All banned substances are treated the same. The chemical in question here inhanced the ability of the blood to absorb more oxygen making it possible to work and practice harder and longer. But obviously its results are temporary because it was gone between Christmas and the Olympics. Contrast this to anabolic steroids which build muscle mass which persists for extended periods of time. The penalties are the same for both of them, it's like equating marijuana with crack cocaine. These things also need to be reviewed and fixed as well.

As far as Russia, it has demonstrated that whether it's Russia or the ROC which was created to not be Russia but allow Russian athletes to compete; they have little regard for standards and norms to guarantee fairness in competition. The should be banned from all international athletic competition for a period of at least 4 years, 8 would be better. Russia was currently being penalized for 4 years ban from Olympics which was shortened to 2 years which actually expires in December of this year. Make it long and make it hurt. Russian athletes can still compete for foreign countries which have respect for fairness and won't tolerate illegal performance. Athletes competing for foreign countries is very common these days.

RodeoMan Loc: St Joseph, Missouri

The attitude exemplified by Russia is that the end justifies the means and goes far beyond sports is being displayed every day.

Burkley Loc: Park City

If they are cheating with one drug, they are cheating with several, and with several athletes. That medication should not be within a mile of a competitive athlete unless they are routinely doping. Someone made a mistake and accidentally gave her the routinely stocked medicine off the schedule used to avoid positive tests. That person is probably dead.