A report on what has been described as a systematic, “state-supported” doping program in Russian Federation was published this week by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which has also recommended the country be banned from athletics competition in the aftermath.
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Olympic chief Thomas Bach, in his first reaction to WADA’s findings, said the report was “sad and shocking”, pointing to allegations that a few officials demanded vast sums of money to hush up positive dope tests.
Richard Pound, president of World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Independent Commission (IC), attends a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 9, 2015.
The ARD’s two-part documentary, entitled Geheimsache Doping (Secret Doping Case), claimed that Russian athletes systematically took banned substances on instructions from their coaches.
The Monaco-based IAAF is due to give its decision on possible sanctions for Russian Federation after it meets on Friday.
Russian officials from President Vladimir Putin down have struck a conciliatory tone in the past 48 hours as they try to head off the prospect of an Olympic ban.
Putin ordered Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko and “all colleagues connected with sport” to pay close attention to the doping allegations and for an internal investigation to be conducted – one that guaranteed full cooperation with global anti-doping bodies.
In addition, Bach should insist on an open-door policy for all Russian sport federations, with the global sport governing bodies, WADA and IOC able to look at and ask for anything they want, any time they want.
Mutko said he wanted to solve Russia’s doping problem once and for all.
“It will be painful for those athletes with clean consciences who could compete, that’s the first thing”.
The IAAF said in a statement: “VTB has expressed no interest to extend its present contract, the last event of which was the IAAF World Championships in Beijing”.
On Thursday, Mutko told The Associated Press that Russian Federation has no intention of boycotting next year’s Olympics even if its track team is barred.
Former world athletics (IAAF) president Lamine Diack has resigned as honorary member of the global Olympic Committee following the launch of a formal investigation against the Senegalese for suspected corruption and money-laundering, the IOC said.
“My job is to worry about clean athletes rights being violated, so Im very hopeful the system in place would catch and rule out cheaters, but we have to work every day to ensure the system is as good as it possibly can be to fully protect clean athletes rights”.
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Response from stakeholders and sports fans to the WADA report has been both personal and political.
