The trainwreck that will likely be the Rio Olympics is almost here and it was possible that Russia, an entire nation with a huge presence at Olympic games, wouldn’t be able to participate due to allegations of widespread doping before, during, and after the Sochi games in 2014.
The New York Times published a blistering exposé today, detailing how Russian Olympians engaged in a state-run doping program in order to win as many gold medals as possible during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. At least 15 medal winners were reportedly involved.
A lot of people get very upset about doping in sport. They may well have a point — but maybe a little scientific perspective is required. Randal Monroe puts the issue well in the alt text of today’s XKCD cartoon: