Thumbs down: Olympic committee falters (again)

The evidence against Russia is overwhelming and disturbing. Armed with it, the International Olympic Committee had an opportunity to make a decisive stand against not just doping but the systemic state-sponsored fraud that Russia has carried out for several years as a way to help its athletes get an edge on the rest of the world.

But the IOC pulled up lame once again, ignoring appeals from the World Anti-Doping Agency and dozens of other anti-doping bodies around the globe to exclude the entire Russian Olympic team from competing in the upcoming Rio games. It’s unfortunate. This was the time and opportunity to send a strong message.

Instead, the IOC passed the buck - leaving it to individual global sports federations to decide which athletes should be allowed to compete just days before the Aug. 5 start of the games. The IAAF, the governing body for track and field, already has banned Russia’s athletes from the competition. Others may follow. But time is running out.

This isn’t the first time the International Olympic Committee has faltered at time when leadership was needed. The IOC has turned a blind eye to allegations of such systemic violations of drug testing by Russia. And now the proof is in. A report made public this month makes clear that Russia has condoned and supported cheating during a spectrum of international competitions from late 2011 to 2015. It’s no coincidence that during the Winter Olympics two years ago in Sochi, the Russians came away with 33 medals - more than any other country - and not a single athlete tested positive for doping.

In defense of whistleblowers who stuck their necks out and in support of all the clean athletes and countries that abide by the rules of competition, Russia deserved the harshest of penalties. It didn’t get it.