Peter Akman poked fun at the Olympic team from Russia, reacting to the news that a Russian athlete Alexander Krushelnitsky, who won a bronze medal in the mixed doubles curling event with his wife Anastasia Bryzgalova last week, is suspected of testing positive for meldonium, a banned substance that increases blood flow, resulting in improved exercise capacity.
"What happens next? If #OAR athletes test positive for #doping in #PyeongChang2018 for the next #Olympics will they be called OAFOAR? (Olympic Athletes From Olympic Athletes From Russia) #ioc," Akman wrote on Twitter.
Despite the fact that he deleted the tweet, social media users were quick to respond to his sarcastic remark. Twitterians were not as impressed by Akman’s joke, with many Russians blasting him for his comment and once again questioning WADA informant Grigory Rodchenkov’s claims about the alleged state-run doping system in Russian sports:
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The Russian team has been allowed to take part in the 2018 Winter Games, provided it performs under a neutral flag and is called “Olympic Athletes from Russia,” following the so-called doping scandal. The alleged doping use by Russian athletes surfaced in 2015, when the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accused Moscow of numerous violations.