The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has accused Russia of systematic doping violations and cover-ups involving Russian officials, including the sports minister. It calls for Russian athletes to be barred from competitions.
13 November 2015
"The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) says the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) has not been complying with anti-doping rules. A decision regarding the fate of RUSADA will be taken in Colorado Springs on November 18," Natalia Zhelanova, Russian Ssports Minister advisor Natalia Zhelanova told “R-Sport”.
The Russian Sports Vitaly Mutko minister called on the president of WADA to expedite the accrediting procedures for the Russian anti-doping lab because if its license is revoked, this will lead to a lack of funding which will mean loss of highly qualified personnel and make the fight against doping tougher in Russia.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has hidden 155 test results since 2008, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said on Friday. Russian athletes are involved in only 15 of those cases, the official said.
Watch RT's report on press breifing with Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko
WADA is ready for a dialogue with Russia after a road map to solve the doping issue is received, RIA Novosti cited Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko as saying. The official added he was sure Russian athletes would not be banned from competition, although temporarily sanctions might be applied by the IAAF.
Doping drugs are not being produced in Russia, the sports minister told journalists, adding that it is being smuggled into the country by certain "mafia circles." Although the problem is not specifically Russian, tougher punishment measures for doping abuse should be introduced, Vitaly Mutko said, adding that he had spoken to President Putin about launching new control mechanisms and the possible introduction of criminal sanctions.
Up to 160 sportsmen and women are banned from competition in Russia every year, Sports Minister Mutko told a press conference on Friday.
"Some might call it efficient work, while others could say the number is too big," he said.
Russia has created the largest number of biological passports for its athletes, Mutko said, adding that all data from them is automatically entered into international control system. Allegations that some tests have been destroyed is nonsense.
The work of Moscow’s anti-doping laboratory is based on the model of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and no manipulations with doping tests are possible, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko told journalists on Friday.
"We bought [the equipment] which had been recommended by them [WADA]. We are ready to reveal all doping control procedures," Mutko said, adding that if any additional standards are necessary to be applied, Moscow is ready to consider them.
Russia has invested over 1.5 billion rubles (US$22.5 million) into the anti-doping laboratory, Mutko said, adding that if there are any wrongdoers, they will be punished.
12 November 2015
The Russian Athletics Federation (VFLA) has sent a report regarding doping allegations made against the country by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to the International Association of Athletics Federations’ (IAAF), the acting head of the sports governing body in Russia Vadim Zelichenok said, as cited by TASS.
Director of Swiss anti-doping laboratory LAD Martial Saugy said the report by the independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was misleading. He rejected accusations that the lab destroyed biological samples of Russian athletes insisting it followed all the procedures required.
He said at least 12 out of 67 samples of urine taken from Russian athletes did not contain enough liquid to re-analyse them for possible traces of doping. The remaining 55 samples were tested but the result was technically comparable with findings of the Russian anti-doping body.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed sports minister, Vitaly Mutko, to hold his own investigation into the doping scandal and cooperate with international anti-doping organizations.
Putin said that those guilty of doping use should be punished, while those, who are innocent, should not be held responsible for others actions.
11 November 2015
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has “no authority'' to bar Russian athletes from the next summer’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the organization’s President Thomas Bach has said, as cited by AP.
“The IAAF has informed us they will take the necessary measures,” Bach mentioned.
The head of the Olympic committee also expressed hope that any decision taken by the IAAF will “protect clean athletes” within the Russian team.
Russia may consider introducing criminal proceedings against athletes caught taking performance-enhancing drugs, the Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said.
Anyone proven to have used doping must be disqualified, the Russian Olympic Committee said. The disciplinary action must be as harsh as possible. But honest athletes have a right to participate in international competitions, which the IOC and the IAAF must take into account, it added.
The Russian side, after consultations with WADA, is ready, if necessary, to nominate a foreigner to head Moscow’s anti-doping laboratory, Mutko says.
The former head of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), Lamine Diack has resigned from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), AFP reported, citing officials close to the case.
On Tuesday, the IOC announced that its Executive Board had decided “to confirm the proposal of the IOC Ethics Commission to provisionally suspend Mr Lamine Diack from his honorary membership of the IOC.”
Diack, 82, whose 16-year reign as head of the IAAF ended in August when he was replaced by Sebastian Coe, is being investigated for allegedly accepting money to cover up positive Russian drugs tests.
10 November 2015
Mutko also added that Russia would be able to cope with the fallout following the publication of the WADA report.
“We have done great work over the past years and we have never let the international organizations down. 2-3 percent of cheaters should not cast a shadow over all Russia’s athletes,” he said expressing hope that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) would successfully pass its re-attestation and “everything will get back to normal” with both the Russian Athletics Federation (VFLA) and RUSADA improving their work.
Meanwhile, the Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said it is inconceivable that the country’s athletics teams may not take part in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
“I would not like to consider such an option. We have young sportsmen, for whom it will be their first Olympics… Clean sportsmen should not suffer, they achieve their results by hard work… we must protect them,” Mutko told TASS.
There is “no reason to question the credibility of the results of the anti-doping tests carried out at the Olympic Winter Games 2014,” the IOC said in a statement, adding that neither WADA’s report, nor the WADA independent observer group at the games had mentioned any irregularities linked to Sochi 2014.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has asked the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to start disciplinary procedures against all alleged cheaters mentioned in the WADA report, it said in a statement.
The IOC also stressed that it would take “all necessary measures” in light of the alleged doping violations relating to the Olympics, including the stripping of medals as well as the exclusion of coaches and officials from future Olympic Games, based on the results of the IAAF investigation.
The head of the Moscow Anti-Doping Center, Grigory Rodchenkov, who was accused by WADA of disposing of over 1,400 samples, and taking bribes from athletes to cover up positive results, has resigned.
According to sports minister Vitaliy Mutko, the center will now go through a re-accreditation process. Dick Pound had recommended that the Moscow facility should be stripped of its accreditation, and WADA acted on his advice on Tuesday morning.
Nikita Kamaev, the head of Russia’s Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), has labeled its alleged FSB links merely ‘James Bond conspiracy theories.’ He denied all rumors of certain classified parts of the WADA report.
WADA has suspended Moscow anti-doping laboratory accreditation, the agency said on its website.
“WADA has acted swiftly to one of the key recommendations made by the Independent Commission in its report,” said WADA President, Sir Craig Reedie.
According to Reedie "the status of the laboratory’s accreditation beyond that will be decided by a Disciplinary Committee which will be formed shortly to review the case.”
The All-Russia Athletic Federation (VFLA) is to write a reply to Sebastian Coe, the newly-elected head of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), said Vadim Zelichenok, the acting head of VFLA.
“We haven’t yet managed to read the whole [report], but we do not agree with many of the allegations. Today we are going to write a reply to Coe,” he said.
There is no corruption in All-Russia Athletic Federation (VFLA), Zelichenok added.
The World Anti-Doping Agency commission’s report should be backed by proof, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
“If there are accusations, then they should be backed by proof. Until proof is provided, it’s difficult to accept accusations. They are groundless.”
Russia is demanding the formula of the drugs reportedly found in their athletes’ blood, said Vladimir Uiba, head of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency.
"They [WADA] should have sent a request when they found [doping], according to their regulations. This is a complete violation of their own regulations, thus it’s meaningless to re-check the samples."
The Russian Ministry of Sport confirmed it has received the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report, adding that Russian specialists are studying and analyzing it.
“We are open for cooperation with WADA in order to eliminate any violations by RUSADA [Russian Anti-Doping Agency] and its accredited laboratory.”
09 November 2015
The WADA report contains recommendations to the International Olympic Committee not to admit any bids from the Russian Olympic Committee until the All-Russia Athletics Federation is officially recognized by WADA as fully compliant with its norms, TASS reports.
Russia cannot be blamed for all the problems in the world’s athletics, Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko said, adding that the head of the IAAF should understand that any isolation is bad.
The Russian Anti-doping Agency will ask for more time to prepare its answer to the allegations made in the WADA report in response to the IAAF request, Vadim Zelechenok, the acting head of VFLA, told RIA Novosti.
“We will ask for more time, as the report actually contains 330 pages… We will definitely voice our opinion to the issue,” he said.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) described the WADA report as “shocking” and “very saddening for the world of sport.” The IOC also expressed hope that the IAAF President Sebastian Coe “will draw all the necessary conclusions and will take all the necessary measures” following the report.
The IOC will “carefully study the report with regard to the Olympic Games” and react “with zero tolerance policy” to any infringements on the anti-doping rules by athletes and or their entourage, the organization said in a statement.
In the meantime, the IOC Ethics Commission decided “to recommend the provisional suspension” of Lamine Diack’s IOC honorary membership, in view of the accusations of bribery against him.
Kremlin has nothing to add to the Russian sports minister’s comments on the allegations laid out in the WADA report, Russian president’s press-secretary Dmitry Peskov told journalists.
“We have learned about [this situation] from the media and take the sports minister’s rebuttal as a premise,” Peskov said as quoted by TASS. He also added that this issue, including the allegations against Russian security services, “is not on the Kremlin’s agenda.”
Russia does not deny that it has problems with doping violations, but it has already taken all the necessary measures to fight doping, Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko said.
“We have nothing to be ashamed of. Yes, we have problems but we have never concealed them,” he said, adding that problems with doping exist in countries all over the world and “Russia has the same percent [of cheaters] as other countries.”
At the same time, Mutko said that the WADA report presented “no new facts and conclusions,” mostly echoing the narrative of the ARD TV show that was one of the reasons for the WADA’s enquiry.
Mutko also stressed that Russia would cooperate with WADA in discussing the issues presented in the report, as well as in discussing the recommendations proposed by the investigative commission.
Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko denounced the allegations made by the WADA investigative commission against Russia as “unsubstantiated.” The commission findings were partly based “on unsupported facts and [data] from unknown sources,” Mutko told RT, adding that Pound “overstepped the competence of the commission… giving his own general assessment of Russia’s anti-doping activities.”
Russian government could stop supporting anti-doping programs in the country, Russia’s sports minister Vitaly Mutko said.
“If we have to put an end to the [state anti-doping support] system, we will gladly do it. We will stop financing Russian Anti-doping Agency and the Moscow laboratory… we will just save the money…,” Mutko told Interfax.
Russian sports minister also criticized WADA’s inconsistent policy towards Russian anti-doping services. “Six month ago, everything was all right, and now everything is bad,” he said.
The allegations against WADA accredited testing center in Moscow look “strange,” as it was acknowledged to be one of the best, Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko said. “Its actions have never triggered any questions,” he told Interfax.
He also stressed that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) is an independent organization. “We are not the organization’s founders, we just finance it,” he said.
The doping probe samples have been destroyed in the Moscow laboratory with the consent of the WADA, Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko told Interfax. He said that the WADA asked Russian officials to keep the samples relating only to a certain period of time.
“There were no orders concerning the other samples, so we destroyed them,” Mutko said, expressing his support to the head of the WADA-accredited testing center in Moscow, Grigory Rodchenkov.
The All-Russia Athletic Federation (VFLA) has to answer the allegations presented in the WADA commission report within a week, IAAF President Sebastian Coe told Reuters.
The WADA commission has no evidence of cheating by Russian athletes at the Sochi 2014 Olympics, Pound said, adding that he did not rule out the possibility of doping violations during these Winter Olympic Games, AP reports.
The WADA investigation commission met with the Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko in order to give him recommendations concerning fighting against doping, Dick Pound said, adding that the minister was displeased with the commission’s findings.
At the same time, the acting head of VFLA, Vadim Zelechenok, said that the WADA commission has never contacted the VFLA and presented any documents concerning the claims of systematic doping violations by Russian athletes.
The WADA’s recommendation to disqualify all Russian athletics teams and bar them from participation in any international competitions contravenes the rules of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), said the VFLA, as reported by RIA Novosti.
Russian officials interfered in the doping control procedures in Moscow not only in 2014 but also in 2015, Pound claimed.
Potential disqualification of the All-Russia Athletic Federation (VFLA) could be discussed at the meeting of the IAAF in late November in Monaco, VFLA Secretary General Mikhail Butov told TASS.
Butov did not rule out the possibility of the IAAF Council meeting within the next few days but said that the planned meeting is scheduled for November 26-27. “It pretty soon, so I think that the [disqualification] issue will be discussed on those particular days,” he said, according to TASS.
The WADA report also contains information relating to the case of the former IAAF head, Lamine Diack, who is accused of taking bribes for deferring sanctions against Russian athletes, who were allegedly caught cheating. This data was handed over to Interpol for further investigation, Dick Pound said.
The final report on Russian doping violations would be published by the end of 2015, the former WADA chief Dick Pound said at a press-conference.
Following the WADA’s report, IAAF President Sebastian Coe has urged the IAAF Council Members “to start the process of considering sanctions against VFLA,” which could include provisional and full suspension and the removal of future IAAF events, the IAAF official statement says.
“The information in WADA's Independent Commissions Report is alarming. We need time to properly digest and understand the detailed findings included in the report,” Coe said in the statement.
“The All-Russia Athletic Federation (VFLA) has no bearing on the athletes’ blood passports at any stage,” the VFLA lawyer said, adding that “the whole situation looks like a political put-up job with no real proof,” RIA Novosti reports.
The WADA enquiry was reportedly initiated by claims of the German ARD TV Channel and the British Sunday Times, which alleged that 80 percent of Russian medal winners at large-scale competitions between 2001 and 2012 had suspicious doping probes.
In December 2014, one of the ARD TV shows claimed that Russian athletes were systematically taking prohibited medication on their coaches’ orders.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) issued a report in which it alleged Russia’s doping violations in athletics over a period of several years, directly encouraged by the country’s authorities, with complicity from testing labs and assistance from security services. Following the report, WADA recommended to ban Russia from all international competitions in athletics until reforms are undertaken.