Russians consider there is no room for doping in sport but they think Russian athletes must be protected against politicized anti-doping rhetoric.
MOSCOW, December 6, 2017. The Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data of a survey devoted to the doping topic.
Since the doping scandal hit Russian sport, Russians has become more confident that anti-doping rule violations by the Russian national team are single (62% in March 2016; 74% in December 2017).
Every fourth respondent puts into question the fact that Russian athletes were doped (24%; 4% earlier); a further 43% of respondents say that those cases are rare, if any, compared to the number of violations by the foreign athletes; 24% think that the number of anti-doping violations are equal among athletes of any country.
Most of Russians (61%) are confident that Russian authorities must do their utmost to protect the athletes; their responsibility is not only to prove that the athletes are clear but also to carry out strict control over the athletes and those who work with them (in order to prevent possible use of the prohibited substances).
The VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on December 1-3, 2017. The survey involved 1,800 Russians aged 18 and over, and was carried out using stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of landline and mobile phone numbers operating in Russia. The data were weighted according to selection probability and social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes in question wording and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
The 2016 results are based on household survey.
In your opinion, are anti-doping violations among Russian athletes common or single cases, or were there any violations at all? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | |||
| III.2016 | VI.2016 | XII.2017 |
They are common | 24 | 24 | 8 |
Rather single cases | 62 | 58 | 74 |
There were no violations | 4 | 8 | 14 |
Don’t know | 10 | 10 | 4 |
In your opinion, do Russian athletes generally dope more frequently or rarer than athletes from other countries, or they never dope? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | ||
| III.2016 | XII.2017 |
More frequently than other athletes | 4 | 2 |
At the same volume | 38 | 24 |
Rarer than other athletes | 35 | 43 |
They never dope | 4 | 24 |
Don’t know | 19 | 7 |
In your opinion, what should Russian authorities do in response to Russian doping scandal? (closed-ended question, not more than two answers, %) | |
| Total respondents |
They should take active action to protect Russian athletes | 61 |
They should not do anything not to succumb to provocations and not to make excuses | 23 |
Openly recognize the fact of violations, to punish the guilty athletes and officials | 22 |
They should quietly settle the conflict in cooperation with international organizations | 12 |
Don’t know | 4 |
In your opinion, what measures should Russian authorities take to protect Russian athletes? (open-ended question, not more than 3 answers, % of those who think that certain measures should be taken to protect Russian athletes ) | |
| Total respondents |
More severe control over athletes, coaches, medical staff working with athletes | 21 |
To prove their innocence in court | 16 |
To prove that Russian athletes are innocent | 5 |
To make public the results of repeated sample analysis; to conduct open campaigns | 5 |
To carry out control over the results of doping control tests | 3 |
To conduct investigation; to find truth | 3 |
To strongly defend | 2 |
Not to succumb to provocation; not to return the medals; not to prove anything | 2 |
Any possible measures | 2 |
Not to participate in the Olympics; not to let our athletes go there | 1 |
To replace the heads, responsible persons in the Ministry of Sport | 1 |
To seek participation of our experts in other athletes’ sample check | 1 |
To defend interests of Russian athletes at the political level | 1 |
To engage journalists; to talk publicly about this situation | 1 |
To strengthen the country’s authority internationally | 1 |
To specify the list of the banned instances; to inform the athletes and doctors about those substances | 1 |
To actively protect our athletes | 1 |
To create national sport competition similar to Olympics | 1 |
To require proof of doping use | 1 |
To negotiate with the IOC | 1 |
To apply to international sport committees | 1 |
To invest in the development of sport and sport promotion making it more mainstream | 1 |
Other | 5 |
Don’t know | 38 |
Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!