INJURY TIME

Russia was banned from international sport for four years for that doping scandal that involved vials of pee, that didn’t have drugs, being passed through a hole in the wall to replace vials of pee that did have drugs during the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014.

Last December, it won at least a partial victory when the Court of Arbitration for Sport sided mostly with Russia’s appeal, first by reducing by two years the ban imposed by the World Anti-Doping Agency and then by making Russia’s pathway to the Olympics far less onerous than the doping body had demanded.

The consequence has been Russian athletes travelling to Tokyo in larger numbers than they did to the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016. “Actually,” one Russian journalist admitted to the New York Times, “it does not feel like we are banned.”

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

In fact, it’s been a bit weird for the Olympic organisers on the ground in Tokyo.

The International Olympic Committee — which has often avoided directly sanctioning Russia — has placed the onus on individual sports federations to interpret its two-page guidelines on the sanctioning measures, which include an edict that reads: “All public displays of the organisation’s participant name should use the acronym ‘R.O.C.’, not the full name “Russian Olympic Committee.” According to the New York Times, that rule was almost immediately — and repeatedly — broken by event organisers, including the IOC, in public pronouncements.

At the opening ceremony, for example, Russia’s name was read out in English, Japanese and French as dozens of members of its team entered the stadium.

AND SO...

“I’ve got about 15 thoughts, and 13 of them would get me into a lot of trouble. It is a huge mental drain to go through the year knowing that I’m swimming in a race that’s probably not clean, and that is what it is.

“The people that know a lot more about the situation made the decision that they did. I don’t have the bandwidth to train for the Olympics at a very high level and try to lobby the people that are making the decisions, that they’re making the wrong decisions.” — American swimmer Ryan Murphy after claiming a silver medal in the 100m backstroke behind Russian Evgeny Rylov.

POP KNOWS

Gregg Popovich, the coach of USA men’s basketball team, has no time for the problems created by politicians.

The USA team faced Iran — a sworn enemy of the US — in basketball and following a match the Americans won comfortably there was lots of handshakes, hugs and selfie-taking between players and coaches on the respective teams. “I am not the secretary of state so I am not sure what you are looking for,” Popovich replied after being asked a diplomacy question mixed with a sports one, following that match.

“But, in general, I think people from different countries get along better than their governments. People appreciate each other, no matter what country you are talking about.

“I really believe that. And this is a time where sport transcends all that petty crap you get from governments.”

GET YOUR SH*T TOGETHER

There was a ‘Mike Tyson moment’ in the heavyweight boxing in Tokyo. Moroccan fighter Youness Baalla attempted to bite the ear of New Zealand’s David Nyika.

Nyika won via unanimous decision and was comfortable throughout, but the bout was overshadowed by Baalla’s conduct in the final round.

“He didn’t get a full mouthful,” Nyika said afterwards.

“Luckily he had his mouthguard in, and I was a bit sweaty. But come on man, this is the Olympics, get your sh*t together.”