Russian medallists under fire after doping report's release
American runner Montano calls out Olympic champ
There has been plenty of reaction to the release of a World Anti-Doping Agency-commissioned report alleging widespread doping, coverups and extortion involving Russian track and field and the IAAF, the sport's world governing body.
One of the independent commission's findings is that the London 2012 Olympics were "sabotaged" by "widespread inaction" against athletes with suspicious doping profiles.
On Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee called on the IAAF to open disciplinary cases against Russian athletes, coaches and officials accused in the report, and the IOC said it would be ready to strip medals from any Russian athletes found guilty by the IAAF of doping violations.
One of the athletes who could benefit from such a move is Alysia Montano, an 800-metre runner from the United States.
Montano finished fourth at the world championships in 2011 and 2013, and fifth at the 2012 Olympics. Ahead of her in London were Russia's Mariya Savinova and Ekaterina Poistogova, who won gold and bronze, respectively, and were named in the WADA report.
Savinova also won gold at the 2011 worlds and silver in '13.
Medals I could be upgraded to: 2010 Silver 2011 Bronze 2012 Olympic Bronze 2013 Bronze
—@AlysiaMontanoMontano, who has a chance to move up to the bronze position, spoke out following the report's release.
"It's something that a lot of us had known was going on in the sport for a really long time," she said in an emotional Periscope stream. "Without proof you're just basically pointing fingers."
"It's not just about you being the gold, silver or bronze medallist, it's about you putting honest time and energy and being cheated out of it. You can't get back those moments and you can't replace those feelings that I would have been able to experience at the time."
Russia (and before that, the Soviet Union) had historically done well at the track and field world championships, finishing in the top three at every edition since the competition's inception in 1983, and topping the gold-medal race with seven at the 2013 worlds in Moscow.
With Russia winning only two gold medals at this year's worlds in Beijing, some have speculated that the team may have benefited from more than just a home-track advantage when it hosted.
"Canadian athletes proved this year that we can be the best in the world when the playing field is level," said Canada's Evan Dunfee, who finished 12th in the race walk while his country collected eight medals, including two gold.
"The Beijing world championships were the cleanest in over a decade in my opinion, and Canada saw its best performance ever while Russia had its worst."