Controversy
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Krushelnitckii participating
in mixed doubles curling event before being
stripped of the bronze medal for
doping
|
During
the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, the Russian Olympic team has
been in the spotlight for alleged doping. Alexander Krushelnitckii, a member of the Olympic Athletes from Russia’s (OAR)
curling team was stripped of a bronze medal that he won in the mixed doubles
curling event with his wife, Anastasia Bryzgalova after failing a drug test
because of performance enhancing drugs. However, because Krushelnitckii
is a Russian athlete, it complicated
things. Russia had previously run a state sponsored doping ring during the
Sochi Olympics, the International Olympic Committee had considered removing
Russia from the Olympics in 2018. During the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South
Korea, the country of Russia is technically not taking part.
The
Russian team has been forced to go through rigorous vetting and wear uniforms
without their countries flag and are unable to play their national anthem. The
Russian team is called Olympic Athletes from Russia, or OAR, that competes
under the Olympic flag rather than the Russian flag. If
 |
Russian Athletes playing for Olympic Athletes from
Russia team because the country
of Russia was banned from the 2018 Olympic in
Pyeongchang
|
Stakeholders
There are many stake
holders in this case. The most important is Krushelnitckii’s teammates. His teammates trust him to play by the
rules in all events. Because he did not follow the rules by taking performance
enhancing drugs, he put his team is at risk of losing their bronze medal in the
mixed doubles curling event. After being accused of taking performance
enhancing drugs members of the Russian team were unable to concentrate on their
game because of the possibility of losing their medals for the misconduct of one athlete. The next stakeholder involved in this case is the opposing teams,
especially Norway who is in line for the bronze behind Russia. The opposing
teams worked hard to play against each other only to lose to someone who broke
the rules.
Individualism
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Meldonium: Performance enhancing drug used by
Krushelnitckii
during the 2018 Olympics
|
Friedman’s theory of
individualism states, “The only goal of business is to profit, so the
obligation that the business person has is to maximize profit for the shareholders within the constraints of the law” An Individualist would examine this case and consider it to
be unethical. An Individualist would see this case as unethical because Russia was
had won a medal with the aid of performance enhancing drugs. By taking meldonium, a performance enhancing drug that
is known to increase one’s stamina, that was previously banned from the Olympics, Alexander Krushelnitckii, a Russian curler was able to become a
better competitor and win a bronze medal by breaking the rules of the game, making his actions unethical.
Kantianism
Immanuel Kant was the creator of Kantian business
ethics. Kantianism is based on four basic principles. The four basic principles
of Kantianism are to act rationally, allow and help people, to make rational
decisions, respect people, their autonomy, and their individual needs and
differences, and be motivated by good will. A Kantian who reviews this case
would consider it to be unethical. Alexander Krushelnitckii, a curler from the
Russian Olympic team took performance enhancing drugs and tried to compete in
the Olympics without announcing his use of performance enhancing drugs. By taking performance
enhancing drugs which is against Olympic rules, Krushelnitckii showed a lack of
respect for the athletes competing against him. He also showed a lack of
respect for his teammates who were not taking performance enhancing drugs and
were stripped of their medal because they played alongside him. Furthermore, Krushelnitckii
was not acting with goodwill. Acting with good will is defined as seeking to do
what is right because it is right. Breaking the rules by taking performance
enhancing drugs is a violating of good will.
Utilitarianism
The theory of Utilitarian business ethics is based on
two factors that are focused on maximizing happiness in yourself and others,
these two factors are egoism and Altruism. Egoism is defined as maximizing your
own happiness, altruism is based on maximizing happiness in others. A
Utilitarian reviewing this case would view it as unethical. A utilitarian would
view this case as unethical because Alexander Krushelnitckii did not satisfy
the requirements of egoism and altruism. By taking performance enhancing drugs Krushelnitckii
maximized his own happiness by obtaining a bronze medal but did not maximize
the happiness of others. For example, after news about Krushelnitckii taking
performance enhancing drugs was leaked to the public, both fans of other teams,
members of competing teams, and members of his own team were disappointed. The
Russian athlete was solely focusing on himself rather than his team, his fans,
and members of competing teams.
Virtue Theory
Virtue theory focuses on the act performed and the
reasons why it is unethical. Virtue theory focuses on four characteristics to
determine whether or not an act is ethical, these four characteristics include
courage, honesty, temperance, and justice. Throughout this case the Russian
curler, Alexander Krushelnitckii lacked each of the four characteristics. He
lacked the courage to follow the rules and compete fairly against other teams. Krushelnitckii
acted immoral by taking performance enhancing drugs and being being unjust, trying to
hide the presence of meldonium in his system. Therefore, the actions presented
in this case would be considered unethical when analyzing from the standpoint
of a virtue theorist.
References
Cacciola, Scott. The New York Times. Olympic Curling
Rocked by Russian Doping Case. 19 Feb.
2018. <www.nytimes.com/2018/02/19/sports/olympics/olympic-curling-doping-reaction.html.>
DesJardins, Joseph
R. McGraw-Hill/Irwin. An Introduction
to Business Ethics. 2014
Dwyer, Colin. NPR. Russian Culer Stripped of Olympic
Bronze After Being Found Guilty of Doping.
22 Feb. 2018. <www.npr.org/sections/thetorch/2018/02/22/587849425/russian-curler-stripped-of-olympic-bronze-after-hes-found-guilty-of-doping.>
Ingle, Sean. The Guardian. Russia Banned from Winter
Olympics over State-Sponsored Doping. 5 Dec. 2017. <www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/dec/05/russian-olympic-committee-banned-winter-games-doping.>
Mather, Victor. The New York Times. Why is Russia at the
Olympics? 1 Feb. 2018. < https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/01/sports/olympics/russia-olympics-doping.html>
Ortiz, Erik. NBC News. IOC Votes to Uphold Russia Olympics
Ban, Athletes Wont March Under Flag. 22
Feb. 2018. <www.nbcnews.com/storyline/winter-olympics-2018/ioc- votes-uphold-russia-olympics-ban-athletes-won-t-march-n850891.>
Ortiz Erik. NBC News. Russian Curler Who Won Olympic
Medal Suspected of Doping Puts Sport Under Scrutiny. 19 Feb. 2018. <www.nbcnews.com/storyline/winter-olympics-2018/russian-curler-who-won-olympic-medal-suspected-doping-puts-sport-n849336.>
Ruiz, Rebecca R, and
Tariq, Paja. The New York Times. Russia
Banned From Winter Olympics by I.O.C.
5 Dec. 2017. < www.nytimes.com/2017/12/05/sports/olympics/ioc-russia- winter-olympics.html.>
Salazar, Heather. The
Business Ethics Case Manual. n.d.
Staff, Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic. Performance Enhancing
Drugs: Know the Risks. 15 Oct. 2015. < https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/performance-enhancing- drugs/art-20046134>
Time.
Russia’s
OAR Olympic Curling Team Faces Doping Scandal <http://time.com/5166226/alexander-krushelnytsky-russia-doping-olympics-curling/>
Tracy, Ben. CBS News. Doping Allegation Against Curler
Puts Spotlight in Russian Olympians. 19
Feb. 2018. <www.cbsnews.com/news/russian-olympic-curler-alexander-krushelnitsky-accused-of-doping/.>
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