Netflix documentary shows the depths of Russia’s doping regime – New York Post

Doublethink is defined as holding two contradictory beliefs in ones mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them. That word is from George Orwells novel 1984, a favorite of Russian scientist Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, who was in a unique position to appreciate the term: As head of his countrys so-called anti-doping lab, Rodchenkov ran a stunningly duplicitous program of doping and outright fraud.

But he blows the whistle on all of it in Icarus, director Bryan Fogels new Netflix documentary, which starts out like Super Size Me and ends up evoking the Edward Snowden-centric Citizenfour.

Fogel, a cyclist, initially planned to film himself going on a doping regimen to achieve better results and show how the cheating is done. He enlists Rodchenkov after American doctors balk at helping and, almost accidentally, gets the charismatic scientist to admit that the Russians have been playing dirty for decades, with the full support of the state.

I could have never imagined that it was essentially going to end up exposing the biggest scandal in sports history, says Fogel, 44. It truly changes the last 40 years of Olympics history.

After sneaking Rodchenkov out of Russia, Fogel went with him to the New York Times, which ran a front-page story about the scope of the cheating at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, a cloak-and-dagger operation that involved swapping dirty urine for clean, the latter of which was stowed at a former KGB facility.

It was incredibly nerve-racking before the story became public, says Fogel, who reveals that Rodchenkov felt safer once the information was out in the open. Their fears were not unfounded: Within two weeks (in February 2016), two former Russian Anti-Doping Agency officials were found dead.

Rodchenkov has since gone into the federal witness-protection program. Through his attorney, Im being told hes OK, says Fogel. But his family is not able to leave Russia. Theyre under surveillance, they took their passports and seized most of the familys assets. But his wife and sister still have jobs, and Im told they are safe at this time.

As for whether sports will ever really be able to break free from doping and cheating, Fogel is unsure. It feels like were in a never-ending cat-and-mouse game between human evolution and technology and science, he says, and I think as long as there are billions of dollars in professional sports, human nature is always going to try to find an advantage.

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Netflix documentary shows the depths of Russia's doping regime - New York Post