The IOC executive held emergency talks today on a bombshell inquiry commissioned by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) into the state doping at the Sochi Winter Olympics and other major events in Russian Federation.
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The report showed the Russian Sports Ministry “directed, controlled and oversaw” a “unique” method of sample manipulation at Sochi 2014, while 30 sports are alleged to have been implicated in the swapping of samples to hide positive tests.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland will rule Thursday on an appeal filed by Russia’s Olympic track and field team of 68 athletes against a ban imposed by the sport’s world governing body, the IAAF, following allegations of state-sponsored doping and cover-ups.
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach describes the revelations as “a shocking and unprecedented attack” on sport.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called the doping allegations a unsafe return to. letting politics interfere with sport..
The IOC has chose to withdraw its support for any major event hosted in Russian Federation, including the proposed 2019 European Games, which will come as a hard blow for its biggest backer, IOC vice-president and European Olympic Committees President Pat Hickey of Ireland.
Rather than applying a total ban, federations could suspend individual Russian sports.
The independent investigator, Richard McLaren of Western University, says labs in Moscow and Sochi protected Russian athletes so that they could compete and excel in the Olympic Games.
Nigel Huddleston said United Kingdom athletes have missed out on medals due to the widespread drug taking, which leaves Russian Federation facing a possible blanket ban for the Rio Olympics. The system was deceptively simple and centred on the WADA-accredited laboratory in Moscow.
The IOC also started disciplinary action against Russian sports ministry officials and others implicated in McLaren’s report, and said they would be denied accreditation for the Rio Games.
McLaren also confirmed precious allegations that urine samples with traces of steroids were swapped for clean ones in Sochi with the help of Russian intelligence and anti-doping officials.
Far from marring the Olympic brand, Pound said banning Russian Federation from the upcoming games would improve the reputation of the IOC and the Olympic movement more generally.
WADA has subsequently urged a total ban on Russian athletes competing in the Olympics.
But he said noone can say all Russian athletes are cheats and added: “In the public’s imagination participation in the Olympics is for everyone”.
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach finds himself in a tricky position.
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Inevitably, there will be some within the Russian Olympic team who are entirely blameless and who have competed exclusively on their own merits rather than resorting to doping. Reedie, who is also an International Olympic Committee vice president, presented details of the McLaren report to the executive board Tuesday and answered questions about it, before Bach asked him to recuse himself from the meeting because of a conflict of interest.. The Olympic Summit on October 8, 2016 will propose further measures in this respect.
