Russia’s track and field athletes were banned from global competition in November after a damning report made accusations of state-sponsored doping.
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International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice-president John Coates has branded Russia’s anti-doping agency and athletics body as “rotten to the core” and believes the country’s athletes will remain banned from competing at international events.
WADA said that hundreds of attempts to carry out drug tests on Russian athletes this year had been thwarted, with drug testers facing intimidation and threats from armed Russian security forces while athletes continued to evade doping control officers.
The Russian Olympic Committee sent 436 athletes to compete in London four years’ ago; while 455 Russians competed in Beijing.
A report by a commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) previous year revealed doping, cover-ups and attempted bribery on a huge scale in the country.
“We would not have been here today had the International Athletics Federation not successfully appealed against him (Kirdyapkin) and five other Russian athletes who had received favourable treatment”, Coates said.
Doping control officers in Russian Federation have faced widespread obstruction this year, according to a damning new World Anti-Doping Agency report.
Friday’s meeting comes two days after a new WADA report cited continuing obstruction and violations of drug-testing in Russian Federation. Evidence of state-sponsored doping should be enough to disqualify the whole track team, they contend.
VIENNA (AP) – Russia made a last-minute plea Friday for its track and field athletes to be allowed to compete in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, claiming it has cleaned house and met all the requirements for reinstatement. Conceivably, Russia could decide to pull out its entire Olympic team if its track athletes are banned.
“Athletics Australia will continue to press the IAAF to ensure that all possible steps are taken to ensure a level playing field for all athletes”.
Seppelt’s documentary also showed that Rusada – the organisation tasked with exposing drugs cheats – was covering up positive tests in sports as diverse as swimming, athletics, cycling, biathlon, weightlifting and Nordic skiing, and that there was pressure from the Russian government to forget about prominent athletes who had failed tests.
“In anticipation of your decision on June 17 in respect to Russian athletes, I would like to once again assure you that Russia fully supports fighting doping”, Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko wrote in an open letter to IAAF president Sebastian Coe.
Russian Federation is waiting to hear if its track and field athletes will be allowed to compete at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. “The mood is ordinary, there is no global competition mood, because for nearly a year we’ve been barred from taking part in worldwide competitions” Adams said.
But Russia is the big issue, with any decision carrying enormous ramifications for the Olympics.
Federal scientific centre of physical culture and sports which houses a laboratory accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency in Moscow, Russia on November 11, 2015.
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Diack has denied the charges of corruption, as has his son, Papa Massata Diack, a former IAAF marketing consultant also criminally charged in France but avoiding extradition in his native Senegal.
