The message was strong, clear and unambiguous: Russia was banned from the Pyeongchang Olympics because of a state-run doping program. That was Dec. 5, when International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach strongly declared, "This decision should draw a line under this damaging episode."
What a powerful moment in the fight against steroids and cheating. Someone was finally taking it seriously. Someone was finally doing something about it. As USA Today's Christine Brennan wrote at the time, "The bad guys just lost, big time," and the punishment was "an embarrassment for Russia."
Except for one thing: Just 11-and-a-half weeks later, the top two women's figure skaters at the Olympics, in the Games' premier event, are.