McLaren delivered three main findings that doped samples “disappeared” from the anti-doping laboratory in Moscow, that they were swapped with clean samples at the laboratory for the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014 and that these plans were directed by the Russian sports ministry.
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IOC President Thomas Bach gives a news conference after the Olympic Summit on doping. During that time, the report found, Russian officials had destroyed thousands of urine samples from Russian athletes.
Sir Craig Reedie, WADA president, called the “scope and scale” of the investigation’s findings a “real horror story”, and that he was optimistic that the “correct decision” would be taken by the IOC.
Olympic leaders had said those moves undermined the report and called it “disappointing” that the groups would try to have Russian Federation banned in such an “underhanded” way.
“Probably in the Russian state, I think there would be no doubt what’s happening and I think it would be a good start to ban the Russians entirely, because I would have little doubt that there would be many people, if any, in their entire team that would not be taking something”, she said.
“The Sochi laboratory operated a unique sample swapping methodology to enable doped Russian athletes to compete at the Winter Olympic Games”, he added.
Eleven Russian footballers also benefited from a cover-up after failing a doping test, the report said.
“We would like to highlight our belief that WADA must allow Professor McLaren and his team to continue their investigation, that Russia should be banned from the Rio Olympics, Paralympics, and other worldwide events, and that global federations must enact sanctions so as to protect clean sport”.
Following publication of the McLaren report, the World Anti-Doping Agency’s executive board said it wants the International Olympic Committee to ban all Russian teams from the Rio Games.
“The IOC and IPC must show their commitment to the integrity of sport by banning the whole Russian team from competing next month at the Rio Olympics and Paralympics”.
It also substantiated earlier claims by Grigory Rodchenkov, the former director of the laboratory where the doping took place, who told the New York Times earlier this year that Russians employed by the lab took extraordinary measures to hide the doping.
“The State implemented a simple failsafe strategy”, the report said.
“WADA calls on Sport Movement to deny Russian athletes participation at worldwide comp including Rio until “culture change” achieved”, WADA spokesman Ben Nichols tweeted.
And WADA has asked for more funding so McLaren can complete more detailed work after this report, which was delivered in 57 days so it came out before the Summer Games. Russian track and field athletes are already subject to a suspension from the IAAF that prevents them from participating in Rio.
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Though the report focuses exclusively on the Olympics and does not make any conclusions about the 2018 World Cup, the report does say that the doping case of “at least” one soccer player in Russia’s Premier League was covered up and 11 positive tests for Russian soccer players “were made to disappear”.
