{{Short description|Commission of the International Olympic Committee}} The '''Oswald Commission''' was a disciplinary commission of the International Olympic Committee ("IOC"), chaired by IOC member Denis Oswald. It was responsible for investigating and ruling on doping violations by individual Russian athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.
By December 2017, the commission had banned 43 athletes from the Olympics for life, and retroactively disqualified them from their Sochi Olympic events with 13 medals being stripped. 30 of the 43 athletes later successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and had their sanctions overturned; and another 12 had their doping rulings confirmed, but had their lifetime bans commuted to bans for only the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://olympics.nbcsports.com/2018/02/01/russia-olympic-doping-bans-lifted/|title=28 Russians have Olympic doping bans lifted|work=nbcsports.com|date=1 February 2018|access-date=4 February 2018}}</ref><ref name=reutersFeb2018>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-2018-doping-factbox-idUSKBN1FS16P|title=Factbox: The IOC, WADA, CAS and the Russian doping story explained|date=2018-02-08|work=Reuters|access-date=2019-06-06|language=en}}</ref> One athlete did not appeal. The IOC banned Russia from competing at Pyeongchang as a result of the scandal, instead inviting 169 Russian athletes to compete as "Olympic Athletes from Russia" under the Olympic flag rather than under the Russian flag.<ref name=reutersFeb2018 />
==Background== Media attention began growing in December 2014 when German broadcaster ARD aired the documentary "Top Secret Doping: How Russia makes its Winners", alleging the existence of a sophisticated, state-sponsored doping system within the All-Russia Athletic Federation, and comparing it to doping in East Germany.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://stillmed.olympic.org/media/Document%20Library/OlympicOrg/IOC/Who-We-Are/Commissions/Disciplinary-Commission/2018/SRT-001-Decision-Disciplinary-Commission-Maxim-BELUGIN.pdf#_ga=2.40601254.506351115.1559819493-1833823265.1559819493|title=Decision of the IOC Disciplinary Commission in the proceedings against Maxim BELUGIN|page=3|access-date=6 June 2019}}</ref> In November 2015, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) published a report and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) suspended Russia indefinitely from world track and field events. The United Kingdom Anti-Doping agency later assisted WADA with testing in Russia. In June 2016, they reported that they were unable to fully carry out their work and noted intimidation by armed Federal Security Service (FSB) agents.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wada-ama.org/sites/default/files/resources/files/2016.06.15_russia_testing_update_final.pdf|title=Update on the status of Russia testing|date=June 2016|work=wada-ama.org|access-date=November 26, 2017|language=en}}</ref> After a Russian former lab director made allegations about the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, WADA commissioned an independent investigation led by Richard McLaren. McLaren's investigation found corroborating evidence, concluding in a report published in July 2016 that the Ministry of Sport and the FSB had operated a "state-directed failsafe system" using a "disappearing positive [test] methodology" (DPM) from "at least late 2011 to August 2015".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wada-ama.org/en/resources/doping-control-process/mclaren-independent-investigation-report-part-i|title=MCLAREN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION REPORT - PART I|date=18 July 2016|work=wada-ama.org|access-date=November 26, 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wada-ama.org/en/resources/doping-control-process/mclaren-independent-investigation-report-part-ii|title=MCLAREN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION REPORT - PART II|date=9 December 2016|work=wada-ama.org|access-date=November 26, 2017|language=en}}</ref>
==Sochi investigation==
thumb|Urine sampling bottles
The IOC established the Disciplinary Commission and the Inquiry Commissions in July 2016, following the publication of the McLaren Report. The IOC took this measure since Prof. McLaren did not have the authority to bring forward Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) cases against individual athletes. After receiving the results from the final McLaren Report in December 2016, the IOC opened proceedings against the 28 Russian athletes mentioned in the report (the number later rose to 46,<ref name="olympic-org-six">{{Cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-sanctions-six-russian-athletes-and-closes-one-case-as-part-of-oswald-commission-findings|title = IOC sanctions six Russian athletes and closes one case as part of Oswald Commission findings|date = 14 July 2021}}</ref> which are now being heard by the Oswald Commission.
On November 1, 2017 a cross-country skier Alexander Legkov who won a gold medal was disqualified and banned for life by the Commission. His Sochi results were wiped from the record. A second Russian cross-country skier who didn't get to the podium was also disqualified and banned for life.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-sanctions-two-russian-athletes-as-part-of-oswald-commission-findings |title=IOC sanctions two Russian athletes as part of Oswald Commission findings - Olympic News |publisher=Olympic.org |date=2017-11-01 |access-date=2017-11-27}}</ref> 8 days later four more Russian cross-country skiers who won a combined 3 medals were found guilty of doping.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-sanctions-four-russian-athletes-and-closes-one-case-as-part-of-oswald-commission-findings|title=IOC sanctions four Russian athletes and closes one case as part of Oswald Commission findings|date=2017-11-09|work=International Olympic Committee|access-date=2017-11-09|language=en}}</ref> The total was brought to ten when four skeleton racers were disqualified on November 22, 2017, two medals (gold and bronze) were stripped off.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-sanctions-four-russian-athletes-as-part-of-oswald-commission-findings |title=IOC sanctions four Russian athletes as part of Oswald Commission findings - Olympic News |publisher=Olympic.org |date=2017-11-22 |access-date=2017-11-27}}</ref> On November 24, 2017 the IOC imposed life bans on bobsledder Alexandr Zubkov and speed skater Olga Fatkulina who won a combined 3 medals (2 gold, 1 silver). Olga Stulneva and Aleksandr Rumyantsev were also disqualified.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-sanctions-four-russian-athletes-as-part-of-oswald-commission-findings-2017-11-24|title=IOC SANCTIONS FOUR RUSSIAN ATHLETES AS PART OF OSWALD COMMISSION FINDINGS|date=24 November 2017|access-date=24 November 2017}}</ref> All their results were wiped from the record, meaning that Russia lost its first place in the medal standings. On November 27, 2017 IOC sanctioned Olga Vilukhina, Yana Romanova, Sergey Chudinov, Alexey Negodaylo, and Dmitry Trunenkov, and stripped Vilyukhina and Romanova of their medals in biathlon.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-sanctions-five-russian-athletes-and-publishes-first-full-decision-as-part-of-the-oswald-commission-findings|title=IOC sanctions five Russian athletes and publishes first full decision as part of the Oswald Commission findings|date=27 November 2017|publisher=International Olympic Committee|access-date=27 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-sanctions-four-russian-athletes-as-part-of-oswald-commission-findings-2017-11-24|title=IOC SANCTIONS FOUR RUSSIAN ATHLETES AS PART OF OSWALD COMMISSION FINDINGS|date=24 November 2017|access-date=24 November 2017}}</ref> 3 athletes who didn't win medals were sanctioned on November 29, 2017.<ref name="olympic-org-sanctions">{{Cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-sanctions-three-russian-athletes-as-part-of-oswald-commission-findings|title = IOC sanctions three Russian athletes as part of Oswald Commission findings|date = 14 July 2021}}</ref> 2 days later Olga Zaitseva who won silver in biathlon and two other athletes were also disqualified.<ref name="olympic-org-three">{{Cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-sanctions-three-russian-athletes-as-part-of-oswald-commission-findings-2017-12-01|title=IOC sanctions three Russian athletes as part of Oswald Commission findings|date=14 July 2021}}</ref> On December 12, 2017 six Russian ice hockey players were disqualified.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-sanctions-six-russian-athletes-and-closes-one-case-as-part-of-oswald-commission-findings|title=IOC sanctions six Russian athletes and closes one case as part of the Oswald Commission findingsdate=December 12, 2017|access-date=December 13, 2017|work=olympic.org}}</ref> Bobsledder Alexey Voyevoda who had been already stripped of his gold medals due to the anti-doping violations committed by his teammates was sanctioned on December 18, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.france24.com/en/20171218-russian-bobsledder-banned-over-doping|title=Russian bobsledder banned over doping|work=France 24|date=18 December 2017|access-date=20 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171219054643/http://www.france24.com/en/20171218-russian-bobsledder-banned-over-doping|archive-date=19 December 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Eleven athletes were banned on December 22, 2017. Among them, silver medalists Albert Demchenko and Tatiana Ivanova who were stripped of their medals.<ref name="ioc-11">{{Cite news|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-sanctions-11-russian-athletes-as-part-of-oswald-commission-findings|title=IOC sanctions 11 Russian athletes as part of Oswald Commission findings|date=2017-12-22|work=International Olympic Committee|access-date=2017-12-22|language=en}}</ref>
===List of disqualified sportspeople=== {|class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:98%;" |- !Name !Country !Sport !Banned substance !Medals !Details of test !CAS appeals result<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Media_Release__decision_RUS_IOC_.pdf|title=The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) delivers its decisions in the matter of 39 Russian athletes v. the IOC|publisher=Court of Arbitration for Sport|access-date=2018-03-04}}</ref> |- |Alexander Legkov |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Cross-country skiing |Disappearing sample |{{gold1}} gold <br>{{Silver2}} silver |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="IOC2017-11-01">{{cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-sanctions-two-russian-athletes-as-part-of-oswald-commission-findings|title=IOC sanctions two Russian athletes as part of Oswald Commission findings|publisher=International Olympic Committee|access-date=2017-11-01}}</ref> |Sanctions annulled/Results reinstated |- |Evgeniy Belov |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Cross-country skiing |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="IOC2017-11-01"/> |Sanctions annulled/Results reinstated |- |Maksim Vylegzhanin |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Cross-country skiing |Disappearing sample |{{Silver2}} silver<br>{{Silver2}} silver <br>{{Silver2}} silver |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="IOC2017-11-09">{{cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-sanctions-four-russian-athletes-and-closes-one-case-as-part-of-oswald-commission-findings|title=IOC sanctions four Russian athletes and closes one case as part of Oswald Commission findings|publisher=International Olympic Committee |access-date=2017-11-09}}</ref> |Sanctions annulled/Results reinstated |- |Evgenia Shapovalova |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Cross-country skiing |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="IOC2017-11-09"/> |Sanctions annulled/Results reinstated |- |Alexei Petukhov |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Cross-country skiing |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="IOC2017-11-09"/> |Sanctions annulled/Results reinstated |- |Yulia Ivanova |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Cross-country skiing |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="IOC2017-11-09"/> |Sanctions upheld |- |Aleksandr Tretyakov |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Skeleton |Disappearing sample |{{gold1}} gold |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="ioc-4-more">{{Cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-sanctions-four-russian-athletes-as-part-of-oswald-commission-findings|title=IOC sanctions four Russian athletes as part of Oswald Commission findings|date=14 July 2021}}</ref> |Sanctions annulled/Results reinstated |- |Elena Nikitina |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Skeleton |Disappearing sample |{{bronze3}} bronze |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="ioc-4-more"/> |Sanctions annulled/Results reinstated |- |Olga Potylitsina |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Skeleton |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="ioc-4-more"/> |Sanctions annulled/Results reinstated |- |Maria Orlova |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Skeleton |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="ioc-4-more"/> |Sanctions annulled/Results reinstated |- |Olga Stulneva |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Bobsleigh |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="ioc-4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-sanctions-four-russian-athletes-as-part-of-oswald-commission-findings-2017-11-24|title = IOC sanctions four Russian athletes as part of Oswald Commission findings|date = 14 July 2021}}</ref> |Sanctions annulled/Results reinstated |- |Alexandr Zubkov |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Bobsleigh |Disappearing sample |{{gold1}} gold <br>{{gold1}} gold |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="ioc-4"/> |Sanctions upheld |- |Olga Fatkulina |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Speed skating |Disappearing sample |{{Silver2}} silver |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="ioc-4"/> |Sanctions annulled/Results reinstated |- |Aleksandr Rumyantsev |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Speed skating |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="ioc-4"/> |Sanctions annulled/Results reinstated |- |Aleksei Negodaylo |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Bobsleigh |Disappearing sample |{{gold1}} gold |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="olympic-org-five">{{Cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-sanctions-five-russian-athletes-and-publishes-first-full-decision-as-part-of-the-oswald-commission-findings|title = IOC sanctions five Russian athletes and publishes first full decision as part of the Oswald Commission findings|date = 14 July 2021}}</ref> |Sanctions annulled/Team disqualified |- |Dmitry Trunenkov |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Bobsleigh |Disappearing sample |{{gold1}} gold |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="olympic-org-five"/> |Sanctions annulled/Team disqualified |- |Olga Vilukhina |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Biathlon |Disappearing sample |{{Silver2}} silver <br>{{Silver2}} silver |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="olympic-org-five"/> |Sanctions annulled/Results reinstated |- |Yana Romanova |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Biathlon |Disappearing sample |{{Silver2}} silver |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="olympic-org-five"/> |Sanctions annulled/Results reinstated |- |Sergei Chudinov |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Skeleton |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="olympic-org-five"/> |Sanctions annulled/Results reinstated |- |Alexander Kasjanov |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Bobsleigh |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="olympic-org-sanctions"/> |Sanctions upheld |- |Aleksei Pushkarev |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Bobsleigh |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="olympic-org-sanctions"/> |Sanctions upheld |- |Ilvir Huzin |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Bobsleigh |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="olympic-org-sanctions"/> |Sanctions upheld |- |Yuliya Chekalyova |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Cross-country skiing |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="olympic-org-three"/> |Sanctions upheld |- |Anastasia Dotsenko |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Cross-country skiing |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="olympic-org-three"/> |Sanctions upheld |- |Olga Zaitseva |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Biathlon |Disappearing sample |{{Silver2}} silver |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="olympic-org-three"/> |Sanctions upheld |- |Inna Dyubanok |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Ice hockey |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="olympic-org-six"/> |Sanctions upheld |- |Yekaterina Lebedeva |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Ice hockey |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="olympic-org-six"/> |Sanctions annulled/Team disqualified |- |Yekaterina Pashkevich |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Ice hockey |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="olympic-org-six"/> |Sanctions annulled/Team disqualified |- |Anna Shibanova |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Ice hockey |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="olympic-org-six"/> |Sanctions upheld |- |Yekaterina Smolentseva |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Ice hockey |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="olympic-org-six"/> |Sanctions annulled/Team disqualified |- |Galina Skiba |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Ice hockey |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="olympic-org-six"/> |Sanctions upheld |- |Alexey Voyevoda |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Bobsleigh |Disappearing sample |{{gold1}} gold <br>{{gold1}} gold |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.france24.com/en/20171218-russian-bobsledder-banned-over-doping|title=Russian bobsledder banned over doping|work=France 24|date=18 December 2017|access-date=20 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171219054643/http://www.france24.com/en/20171218-russian-bobsledder-banned-over-doping|archive-date=19 December 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> |Sanctions upheld |- |Albert Demchenko |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Luge |Disappearing sample |{{Silver2}} silver <br>{{Silver2}} silver |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="ioc-11"/> |Sanctions annulled/Results reinstated |- |Tatiana Ivanova |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Luge |Disappearing sample |{{Silver2}} silver |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="ioc-11"/> |Sanctions annulled/Results reinstated |- |Ivan Skobrev |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Speed skating |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="ioc-11"/> |Sanctions annulled/Results reinstated |- |Artyom Kuznetsov |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Speed skating |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="ioc-11"/> |Sanctions annulled/Results reinstated |- |Liudmila Udobkina |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Bobsleigh |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="ioc-11"/> |Sanctions annulled/Results reinstated |- |Maxim Belugin |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Bobsleigh |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="ioc-11"/> |No appeal filed |- |Tatiana Burina |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Ice hockey |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="ioc-11"/> |Sanctions annulled/Team disqualified |- |Anna Shukina |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Ice hockey |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="ioc-11"/> |Sanctions annulled/Team disqualified |- |Nikita Kryukov |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Cross-country skiing |Disappearing sample |{{Silver2}} silver |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="ioc-11"/> |Sanctions annulled/Results reinstated |- |Alexander Bessmertnykh |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Cross-country skiing |Disappearing sample |{{Silver2}} silver |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="ioc-11"/> |Sanctions annulled/Results reinstated |- |Natalya Matveyeva |{{flagIOC|RUS|2014 Winter}} |Cross-country skiing |Disappearing sample | |IOC sanction imposed in 2017<ref name="ioc-11"/> |Sanctions annulled/Results reinstated |- |}
==See also== * Russia at the 2014 Winter Olympics
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Doping in Russia}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oswald Commission}} Category:2016 scandals Category:2017 scandals Category:2016 in Russian sport Category:2017 in Russian sport Category:Doping in Russia Category:Sports scandals in Russia Category:2014 Winter Olympics Category:International courts and tribunals Category:Sports courts and tribunals