Hundreds of attempts to carry out drug tests on Russian athletes this year have been thwarted, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said Wednesday, in a bombshell report issued just days before a key decision on the country’s participation at the Olympic Games.
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According to the report, 736 requested tests of Russian athletes were declined or canceled and 73 of 455 tests could not be collected because the athlete wasn’t available, while 52 tests turned up a banned substance.
Next Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee will meet to develop an approach on determining eligibility for the Olympics, including whether some Russian track athletes – if their team is banned – can compete without representing a country. The report was made public Wednesday after it was shared with the global federation governing track and field.
Russia’s track and field athletes have been suspended from worldwide competition since November, after a report by an independent WADA panel alleged a widespread, state-backed doping system. Russian Federation would normally enter a team of around 200 track athletes for the games.
The documentary by Hajo Seppelt led to Wada setting up an independent commission led by Pound to investigate the claims of Russian doping as well as sensational revelations about senior IAAF officials taking bungs to allow the Russian marathon runner Liliya Shobukhova to compete while cheating. Meanwhile, athletes who were supposed to compete in the Russian National Walking Championship disappeared before the race, thus missing their testing too.
The report states: “One athlete used a container inserted inside her body (presumably containing clean urine)”.
Insisting that Russian athletes will face extra drugs testing to prove their innocence, the letter added that a ban from Rio would “truly have a destructive effect on the whole system of Olympic values and cause irreparable damage to the development of sport in Russia”.
The credibility of the fight against doping in sports will be at stake Friday when track and field’s world governing body decides whether to uphold or lift its ban on Russian athletes ahead of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
It said athletes use Russia’s military cities – which are off limits without a special pass – as their location, in order to deter test planning.
The latest allegations relate to the period since the Russian anti-doping agency was suspended in November over accusations it covered up drug use. It included the need to immediately introduce disciplinary measures for banned coaches; implement a robust, transparent and efficient anti-doping testing programme and – crucially – to satisfying Wada and the IAAF that its officials, coaches and athletes have acted in accordance with Wada’s anti-doping code.
“My guess is that Seb and Thomas (Bach) are under considerable pressure to find some kind of formula that lets Russian Federation in, and that opinion among various constituents is very much divided”, Pound said.
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As Russia awaits the IAAF decision, Mutko spoke of “pressure” on the IAAF Council.
