sputnik--2019-01-19--Russian Skier Robbed of Chance to Compete at Olympics Cleared of Doping Charge

Legkov, 34, was fully cleared of all doping allegations at the Sochi Games, where he took gold in the 50 km cross country event and silver in the relay, after the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland struck down an appeal by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) against the February 2018 ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which ruled to overturn his suspension from the Olympics.  Legkov's attorney, Christof Wieschemann, said his office was "delighted that the proceedings against our client…which lasted more than two years, have been successfully concluded."  "Both the athlete and we had to accept many setbacks. But the result is correct," Wieschemann said in a written statement to Sputnik, adding that the trial lasted some 60 hours and heard over 20 witnesses and experts.  On February 1, 2018, shortly before the 2018 Winter Olympics began, the CAS acquitted Legkov and dozens of other Russian athletes, but to no avail. The athletes remained disinvited to PyeongChang and could not compete, with the IOC later going on to challenge the CAS ruling in Swiss federal court.  Commenting on the allegations made by Rodchenkov against his client, Wieschemann stressed that there was "no actual evidence for the allegations made by Dr. Rodchenkov regarding the events in Sochi."  The whistleblower, the lawyer said, "has become entangled in contradictions and manifest falsehoods in the proceedings. The story was by no means as he tells it today. Professor McLaren would also have had to recognize this at an early stage if his investigation did not lack the 'checks and balances' that are necessary and actually usual in scientific operations. This, too, became apparent in the procedure," Wieschemann added.  With the Swiss Federal Supreme Court's dismissal of the IOC appeal against the CAS, Wieschemann emphasised that "There are no further appeals," and that his client Alexander Legkov "can rightly claim 'My medals are clean!' Congratulations."  After its appeal against the Legkov ruling was squashed, the IOC announced on its website that it will not challenge the CAS verdicts to acquit 27 other Russian athletes from their disqualifications from the PyeongChang games.  Legkov consistently denied the charges against him throughout his ordeal. In 2016, after he and fellow Russian cross country skier Maxim Vylegzhanin were banned from competition, Legkov insisted that "you'd have to be a complete kamikaze to [dope] in Russia if you're an athlete representing our nation."  Commenting on the groundbreaking Legkov ruling by the Swiss court, Russian sports journalist Oleg Shamonaev asked bitterly "Who will return him two lost years of his career?"  "It is unlikely that he will demand monetary compensation from the IOC for the unfair accusations, although the situation looks very ugly given all these trials and their results," Shamonaev wrote. The journalist argued that it would be nice to get "at least some justice," perhaps through the resignation of IOC disciplinary chief Denis Oswald, or a fine for Richard McLaren, whose claims, now proven false, destroyed the careers of dozens of innocent Russian athletes.  For the sake of fairness, below is the complete list of the athletes who were barred from the Pyeongchang Games whose acquittals the IOC has said it will not challenge following the Legkov ruling, thus clearing their names:  Correction: An earlier version of this story implied that Christof Wieschemann represented all of the above-listed athletes against the IOC. This is incorrect. Wieschemann was the lawyer only for Alexander Legkov and Evgeny Belov.


sputnik--2019-06-02--Russia May Be Banned From 2020 Olympics Over Alleged Doping Cover-Up Reports

Russia May Be Banned From 2020 Olympics Over Alleged Doping Cover-Up – Reports

In August, Lysenko was provisionally suspended for missing drug tests, but the final decision regarding the situation is pending.  The Sunday Times reported, citing sources, that Russian officials were assisting Lysenko in avoiding disqualification, and even oversaw the making of fake documents to conceal his doping violations.  Russian officials have categorically denied the very possibility of the existence of a state-run doping program in the country, but have admitted there were some isolated cases of doping abuse.  On September 20, the great majority of the WADA Executive Committee voted to reinstate the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) as an organisation that complies with the World Anti-Doping Code.


sputnik--2019-09-20--Russia Suspected of Manipulating Doping Data From Moscow Lab - Reports

"ARD Doping Editorial Team Breaking News: RUS under suspicion to have manipulated Moscow lab data (provided to @wada_ama early 2019). @wada_ama Compliance Review Committee will inform WADA Exco at Tokyo meeting next week. „Non Compliance“ procedure already initiated", Seppelt wrote on his Twitter blog.  The statement comes after nine Russian athletes have filed lawsuits after L'Equipe's interview with Director-General of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) Yuri Ganus was published earlier in the week. The RUSADA head criticized the leadership of the All-Russia Athletic Federation and accused a number of athletes from Russia's Chuvash Republic of having prohibited blood transfusions under the protection of the regional authorities.  In 2015, the World Anti-Doping Agency accused Russia of multiple violations of doping regulations, which eventually led to restrictions against Russian athletes, including confiscation of several medals of Sochi and Rio Olympics and a ban on Russian athletes to compete under the national flag during the 2018 Winter Olympics.  Russian officials have denied the existence of any state-run doping programs in the country, but have admitted there were some isolated cases of doping abuse.


sputnik--2019-12-21--Russia Has Proof That WADA Informant Rodchenkov Modified Doping Data in Moscow Laboratory

The Russian Investigative Committee stated on Saturday that it has obtained evidence showing that former head of Russia's national anti-doping laboratory and WADA informant Grigory Rodchenkov had modified doping probes data of Russian athletes.  According to the statement, at the same time, the committee confirmed facts of remote access by the former leader of the laboratory in 2015-2016 to the LIMS data that contains information on the test results.  The committee also added that WADA had claimed on manipulations of data in the laboratory in 20118-2019, while everyone had access to it due to the anti-doping centre's permanent operation.  According to the committee, foreign partners did not allow the Russian investigative body to examine LIMS data that contains information on the test results and was provided by Rodchenkov, as well as to question him on the matter.  On 9 December, WADA unanimously voted to ban Russia from participating in and hosting any major sporting events as punishment for what it said were serious manipulations and deletions of data in athlete test results under WADA investigation.  WADA also ruled that only "clean" Russian athletes would be allowed to compete under a neutral status, without the Russian flag or anthem, while Russian government officials and representatives would be banned from attending any major international sporting events. Additionally, WADA declared RUSADA non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code.  Commenting on the decision, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that any punishment should be individual and that all Russian athletes should not be punished for the wrongdoings of some.  Former head of Russia's national anti-doping laboratory Grigory Rodchenkov fled to the United States in 2016, where he became WADA's main witness in the case against the Russian national Olympic team over doping allegations.  The WADA informant, however, withdrew his testimony against Russian athletes during the Court of Arbitration for Sport hearings in April 2018.


tass--2019-01-14--Russian lawmaker urges WADA to inspect reliability of containers for doping samples

MOSCOW, January 14. /TASS/. A member of the Russian State Duma Committee on Physical Culture, Sports, Tourism and Youth Affairs, Dmitry Svishchev, called on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to hold extra examinations of containers used for collecting doping samples of athletes, a statement from the lawmaker’s press service said.  Last week a video footage was circulated on the Internet, showing Norwegian pole vaulter Sondre Guttormsen easily opening three sealed containers with doping samples. According to the video, he opened them in the presence of a doping control officer during an inspection and without using special equipment.  The Norwegian anti-doping body is using standard bottles produced by Swiss company Berlinger for storing collected doping samples, just like in the rest of the world.  "WADA needs to conduct urgently a set of additional examination tests of containers for storing collected doping samples and to ban the use of Berlinger’s new bottles, which, as it turned out, can be easily opened," Svishchev stated. "The fact that such things take place again speaks for the unreliability of these containers."  "Let us recall that exactly a year ago - in late January 2018 before the Olympic Games in PyeongChang - representatives of the IOC [the International Olympic Committee] and WADA stated an intention to hold a thorough investigation into the quality of containers. Even at the [2018] Games, as IOC representatives stated, containers of the previous generation were used, since numerous questions were on the table in regard to the new ones."  "A year has passed and what do we see? An athlete is easily opening all three containers," Svishchev said. "It casts a shadow on the efficiency of work of the whole global system on the fight against doping."  A delegation of WADA experts is currently in Moscow, where they work to retrieve data from the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory.  In other media


tass--2019-01-16--RUSADA uses reliable Rio-2016 doping sample containers says official

RUSADA uses reliable ‘Rio-2016’ doping sample containers, says official

MOSCOW, January 16. /TASS/. The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) is currently using Swiss company Berlinger’s doping sample containers, which were manufactured by the company especially for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, a senior official with the agency told TASS on Wednesday.  Margarita Pakhnotskaya, a RUSADA deputy director general, said there had be no complaints at all regarding the ‘Rio-2016’ edition of containers for storing doping samples in terms of their reliability.  "RUSADA is currently using containers, for collecting doping samples, made by the Swiss company Berlinger especially for the 2016 Olympics," Pakhnotskaya said in an interview with TASS. "We had no complaints whatsoever regarding these containers in terms of their reliability."  "Theoretically, product failures may possibly occur even with the production of top quality goods, but we have never run into defective containers from the ‘Rio-2016’ edition," she said. "Following a doping control procedure, an athlete personally closes containers with his or her doping sample under strict supervision of a doping control officer, who then personally checks whether the container can be opened. Therefore, it is impossible that a third party can later open this bottle."  Last week, video footage was circulated on the Internet, showing Norwegian pole-vaulter Sondre Guttormsen easily opening three sealed containers with doping samples. According to the video, he opened them in the presence of a doping control officer during an inspection and without using special equipment.  The Norwegian anti-doping body is using standard bottles produced by Swiss company Berlinger for storing collected doping samples, just like the rest of the world.  "Speaking about the video footage with the Norwegian athlete opening three containers, I believe that he was holding the new ‘Geneva’ edition of containers, which were produced especially for the [2018] Olympics in South Korea," Pakhnotskaya said.  "Perhaps, many still remember the scandal, which broke out a year ago regarding these containers, when it turned out that some of these bottles could be opened after they had been frozen."  "In fact, a defect was discovered at that time, during freezing, the plastic neck of the container was compressed, after which the sealed cap could be unscrewed," the RUSADA official continued. "RUSADA also carried out an experiment at that time and managed to open a container from the new series after it had been frozen."  "Back then the World Anti-Doping Agency [WADA] asked to switch to the previous edition of containers [Rio-2016] and after a relatively short period we [RUSADA] just like all other national anti-doping agencies decided against using doping samples containers of the ‘Geneva’ series," she said. "When using the new-edition containers for several days, we [RUSADA] have been applying additional seals on them.".


tass--2019-01-18--Data from Moscow lab to solidify doping cases against Russian athletes WADA head

Data from Moscow lab to solidify doping cases against Russian athletes — WADA head

MOSCOW, January 18. /TASS/. The database retrieved from the Moscow anti-doping laboratory by experts of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will provide solid proof in doping cases against Russian athletes, WADA head Craig Reedie said.  WADA said in a press statement on Thursday that experts of the World Anti- Doping Agency (WADA) have finished their mission to extract data from the Moscow laboratory.  "This is a major breakthrough for clean sport," he said. "The first phase of the three-phase process outlined by that decision is now complete."  "WADA now embarks on the second phase, which entails the authentication and review of the data to ensure it is complete and that it has not been compromised," the official continued. "Given the amount of data, that will take some time to achieve but our experts have the tools they need to be able to verify the data with a high degree of confidence."  "Once the data have been authenticated, we will be in a position to proceed to the third phase and support the various sports and other anti-doping organizations concerned to build strong cases against athletes who doped," he added.  According to the statement, the independent Compliance Review Committee (CRC), which met in Montreal on 14-15 January to consider the Russian Anti-Doping Agency’s (RUSADA’s) compliance status, received a full report on everything that has happened since the 20 September 2018 decision of WADA’s Executive Committee (ExCo) to reinstate RUSADA. The Executive Committee will consider the CRC recommendations on January 22 and give its final verdict.  The WADA Executive Board reinstated the compliance status of the Russian Anti- Doping Agency (RUSADA) on September 20 on condition that WADA experts would be granted access before December 31 to doping samples at the Moscow Anti-Doping Lab, which was sealed off in connection with a federal investigation. In November and December 2018, WADA experts twice visited the Moscow laboratory but could not finish their work as their equipment was reportedly not certified under the Russian laws.  Since the Russian side failed to provide access to the data from the Moscow Anti-Doping Lab before December 31, heads of 16 National Anti-Doping Agencies proposed stripping RUSADA again of its compliance status, which means that all Russian athletes would be barred from international sports competitions.  A delegation of WADA experts arrived again in the Russian capital on January 9 and on the following day began their mission to extract the data of Russian athletes’ doping samples for the period of 2011-2015 stored at the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory.


tass--2019-01-21--Pichler shares proof with IBU Rodchenkov lied about doping in Russian sports

### Wolfgang Pichler  © Valery Sharifulin/TASS  MOSCOW, January 21. /TASS/. Former coach of the Russian biathlon women’s team Wolfgang Pichler has shared proof with the International Biathlon Union the World Anti-Doping Agency’s informer Grigory Rodchenkov lied about doping in Russian sports, as follows from a statement Pichler himself made to TASS.  During the December stage of the World Cup Pichler declared he had called a news conference with the intention to explain why he regarded claims by Rodchenkov, a former chief of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory, as falsehoods. Eventually Pichler canceled the news conference. The coach who currently leads the Swedish team has now made a decision to present all information at his disposal to an independent IBU panel where there will be no representatives of the United States or Canada. In a commentary to TASS made later Pichler said Rodchenkov’s statements were lies, adding that he was surprised and disappointed to see nobody was asking him about what had happened in Russia in reality.  "I have done it," Pichler said without elaborating how much time it would take the group to convey the details of the evidence he shared to the mass media.  Pichler trained Russia’s biathlon women’s team in 2011-2014. Olga Zaitseva and Yana Romanova, both members of his group, were found responsible for violating anti-doping rules at the Sochi Olympics by the disciplinary commission of the International Olympic Committee. A year ago both athletes protested that decision, but no hearings on the case have been held so far. Pichler has repeatedly said he was certain both athletes were innocent.  The Austrian authorities used Rodchenkov’s depositions as the basis for launching criminal proceedings against former IBU President Anders Besseberg on the suspicion of concealing Russian biathletes’ positive doping tests. In December, investigators visited the Russian team who had arrived in Austria for participation in the World Cup stage and in accordance with the Austrian rules of criminal procedure notified a number of Russian athletes and specialists an investigation was underway into suspected violations of anti- doping rules reportedly committed during the 2017 World Cup in Hochfilzen.  In other media


tass--2019-01-29--IBSF slaps Russian bobsledder Voevoda with 2-year suspension over doping accusations

### Alexei Voevoda  © Valery Sharifulin/TASS  MOSCOW, January 29. /TASS/. The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) has slapped Russian bobsledder Alexei Voevoda citing violations of anti-doping rules at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, a source in the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) told TASS on Tuesday.  According to the source, the IBSF ruled that the term of Voevoda’s two-year suspension begins from December 21, 2018.  "We have received a notification that bobsledder Alexei Voevoda has been suspended by the international federation for the period of two years [from December 21, 2018 and until December 20, 2020] for violations of anti-doping regulations," the source told TASS.  Voevoda has the right to appeal the IBSF’s suspension ruling with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within a period of 21 days.  The IBSF announced on January 16 its decision to suspend from all sports- related activities until 2020 RBF (Russian Bobsleigh Federation) President Alexander Zubkov, citing violations of anti-doping regulations. The international organization added that three Russian bobsledders, namely Alexander Kasyanov, Ilvir Khuzin and Alexei Pushkarev, were also slapped with suspensions until 2020 for violating anti-doping rules.  Last week, Zubkov announced that he temporarily resigned from the post of the RBF president and Yelena Anikina, a member of the RBF Presidium, was appointed the acting president of the national bobsleigh federation.  The IOC Disciplinary Commission, chaired by Denis Oswald, announced in late 2017 that Zubkov, Voevoda, Kasyanov, Pushkaryov and Khuzin were guilty of anti-doping rules violations, annulled their results of the 2014 Sochi Olympics and issued a life-time ban from all Olympics. The Swiss-based CAS later ruled against the life-time ban ruling that the bobsledders at the issue were ordered to skip the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.  At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi Voevoda and Zubkov won gold in the two- man’s bobsleigh event and the gold in the four-man’s bobsleigh event. After the Sochi Olympics they announced a decision to wrap up with their sports careers.  In other media


tass--2019-02-07--Russian race walker suspended for three years for doping violation

MOSCOW, February 7. /TASS/. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has suspended Russian race walker Anisya Kirdyapkina for three years for doping violation, All-Russia Athletic Federation (ARAF) Spokesperson Natalya Yukhareva told TASS.  "CAS has ruled to suspend Kirdyapkina based on abnormal blood counts in her biological passport," Yukhareva said. "The athlete has the right to appeal against the decision," she added.  The suspension period starts on July 27, 2017. In addition, the court also annulled Kirdyapkina’s results from February 25, 2011, to October 11, 2013. The case against the Russian athlete was initiated by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).  ARAF Anti-Doping Coordinator Yelena Ikonnikova told TASS that Kirdyapkina would have to temporarily step down as a coach.  According to Ikonnikova, Kirdyapkina was a member of the biological passport program like many other Russian race walkers. "At some point, the IAAF came to the conclusion that her blood counts were abnormal and initiated a case. She was temporarily suspended in July 2017," the ARAF official said.  "As far as I understand, the first abnormal blood counts were registered on February 25, 2011, this is the date from which her results were annulled," Ikonnikova explained. "Why was she suspended for three years instead of the usual two, like it should have been in accordance with the anti-doping rules? Perhaps, there were aggravating circumstances," she said.  ARAF has already notified Kirdyapkina of the CAS decision. "She has already retired from sport and works as a coach but she will have to step down for the suspension period," Ikonnikova noted.  Kirdyapkina, 29, was second at the 2010 European Championships, she won silver medals at the European Race Walking Cup in 2007 and 2009, as well as a gold medal at the 2009 tournament. She also won two golds at the 2015 Universiade.


tass--2019-02-08--IPC chief Russian Para athletes to be tested for doping more than any other athlete

IPC chief: Russian Para athletes to be tested for doping ‘more than any other athlete’

BONN /Germany/, February 8. /TASS/. Russian Para athletes will have to undergo doping tests in the immediate future more ‘than any other athlete in the world,’ President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Andrew Parsons told TASS on Friday.  The IPC announced earlier in the day a decision to conditionally lift the suspension of the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) by March 15, which gives the right for Russian Para athletes to compete at the international tournaments under the national flag after that date. However, the conditional lift of the suspension will be in force until December 31, 2022, which means that the Russian side must strictly abide by a number of special requirements to avoid a recurrence of sanctions.  Asked by a TASS correspondent how often Russian Para athletes would have to undergo doping testing, Parsons said "I can only say that very often."  "This is the thing that we are still coming up with the plan on," he said. "I think it will be fair to speak with the RPC first and then with the media."  Announcing the conditional lift of the suspension on Friday, the IPC stated that it would grant permissions to Russian athletes to participate in the 2020 and 2022 Paralympics under the condition that they undergo frequent doping tests.  The IPC also stated that "The RPC must contribute to the IPC’s significant costs resulting from the increased testing required in relation to Russian athletes under the IPC’s jurisdiction until 31 December 2022."  Parsons said commenting on a possible amount of the Russian side’s contribution that "Until the 15th of March we will provide the RPC with details on the amount."  "Yes, there will be a cost of additional testing and as I have said we will be still in a three and a half years testing them more than any other athlete in the world so we need a contribution from the RPC to pay for those expenses," the IPC president stated.  Parsons also said it was possible that doping officials from the Russian Anti- Doping Agency (RUSADA) might be involved in testing, but this issue still had to be agreed upon.  "We are still discussing it, but I think it will be probably a combination of RUSADA and some external agencies," he said. "However, I am just speculating now because we need to come up with that, discuss with the RPC, come to an agreement, so that we can move forward on the 15th of March."  The IPC suspended the Russian Paralympic Committee in August 2016 in the wake of a report delivered a month earlier by the WADA Independent Commission, chaired by Canadian sports law professor Richard McLaren. The report stated in particular that Russia allegedly employed a state-sponsored doping system.  On August 7, 2016, the IPC decided to bar the entire Russian team from taking part in the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro. Besides skipping the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Brazil due to the imposed sanctions the Russian Paralympians partly missed the 2018 Winter Paralympics in PyeongChang as only few of them were cleared to participate under the neutral status.


tass--2019-02-08--IPC requires additional doping testing of Russian Paralympians before 2020 2022 Games

IPC requires additional doping testing of Russian Paralympians before 2020, 2022 Games

© AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko  BONN /Germany/, February 8. /TASS/. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) will grant permission to Russian athletes to participate in the 2020 and 2022 Paralympics under the condition that they undergo frequent doping tests, the IPC said in a statement on Friday.  The IPC announced a decision on Friday to conditionally lift the suspension of the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) by March 15, which gives the right for Russian Para athletes to compete at the international tournaments under the national flag after that date. However, the conditional lift of the suspension will be in force until December 31, 2022, which means that the Russian side must strictly abide by a number of special requirements to avoid a recurrence of sanctions.  "Up until 31 December 2022, Russian Para athletes will only be entitled to participate in certain competitions (including the Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 Paralympic Games) if they have met the specified testing requirements," the IPC announced in a statement.  The statement also said that "The RPC must contribute to the IPC’s significant costs resulting from the increased testing required in relation to Russian athletes under the IPC’s jurisdiction until 31 December 2022."  On August 7, 2016, the IPC decided to bar the entire Russian team from taking part in the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on August 23, 2016 upheld the IPC’s ruling that came on the heels of a report delivered a month earlier by the WADA Independent Commission, chaired by Canadian sports law professor Richard McLaren.  Besides collectively punishing the Russian national team by banning it from the Rio Games, the IPC also decided to suspend the RPC membership in the international organization.  Besides skipping the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Brazil due to the imposed sanctions the Russian Paralympians almost missed the 2018 Winter Paralympics in PyeongChang as only few of them were cleared to participate in the neutral status.  In other media


tass--2019-02-08--Russian Paralympians ready for additional doping testing says RPC chief

Russian Paralympians ready for additional doping testing, says RPC chief

MOSCOW, February 8. /TASS/. Russian Paralympians are ready to undergo additional doping testing as it had been required by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Vladimir Lukin, the president of the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) told TASS on Friday.  The IPC announced earlier in the day a decision to conditionally lift the suspension of the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) by March 15, which gives the right for Russian Para athletes to compete at the international tournaments under the national flag after that date. However, the conditional lift of the suspension will be in force until December 31, 2022, which means that the Russian side must strictly abide by a number of special requirements to avoid a recurrence of sanctions.  Announcing the conditional lift of the suspension on Friday, the IPC stated that it would grant permissions to Russian athletes to participate in the 2020 and 2022 Paralympics under the condition that they undergo frequent doping tests. The IPC added that the "RPC must contribute to the IPC’s significant costs resulting from the increased testing required."  "Indeed, more attention will be paid in regard to our athletes but we can only welcome this, since we, first of all, are interested in our athletes to be clean," Lukin said in an interview with TASS.  "We absolutely agree with this formula as the Russian Anti-Doping Agency must abide by the general directions coming from the World Anti-Doping Agency [WADA]," the RPC president stated. "RUSADA is operating actively and there are no claims regarding its work."  IPC President Andrew Parsons told TASS earlier in the day that Russian Para athletes would have to undergo doping tests in the immediate future more "than any other athlete in the world."  "Yes, there will be a cost of additional testing and as I have said we will be still in a three and a half years testing them more than any other athlete in the world so we need a contribution from the RPC to pay for those expenses," the IPC president stated.  The IPC suspended the Russian Paralympic Committee in August 2016 in the wake of a report delivered a month earlier by the WADA Independent Commission, chaired by Canadian sports law professor Richard McLaren. The report stated in particular that Russia allegedly employed a state-sponsored doping system.  On August 7, 2016, the IPC decided to bar the entire Russian team from taking part in the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro. Besides skipping the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Brazil due to the imposed sanctions the Russian Paralympians partly missed the 2018 Winter Paralympics in PyeongChang as only few of them were cleared to participate under the neutral status.


tass--2019-02-12--Russian Anti-Doping Agency reports over 30 increase in doping tests

Russian Anti-Doping Agency reports over 30% increase in doping tests

© AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko  MOSCOW, February 12. /TASS/. The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) collected 825 doping samples of Russian athletes last month or over 30% more compared to January 2018, RUSADA Deputy Director Margarita Pakhnotskaya told TASS on Tuesday.  "RUSADA inspectors collected 825 doping samples in January compared to 605 in the same month last year," Pakhnotskaya said in an interview with TASS. "As you can see, the difference is significant and amounts to an over 30% increase."  "Late last year we stated our intentions to increase the number of doping inspections and we keep our word," Pakhnotskaya said. "The amount of target doping tests slightly exceeds the half of all collected samples."  "In the first month of this year, we have received ten applications from athletes for TUE [Therapeutic Use Exemption] permits for medicines containing prohibited substances," she said.  "We have also registered 28 violations of accessibility regulations - 18 cases of missed testing due to athlete’s absence in the location stated in the ADAMS system and 10 cases of missed testing due to a failure to provide information about the whereabouts," Pakhnotskaya stated.  The RUSADA deputy director general also said that Russia’s governing anti- doping body conducted a total of eight educational programs in January, providing special training to 504 specialists.  In other media


tass--2019-02-28--At least 19 doping control staff to serve at 2019 Winter Universiade in Russia

KRASNOYARSK, February 28. /TASS/. At least 19 doping control staff will be on duty during the 2019 FISU Winter Universiade, which kicks off this weekend in Russia’s Krasnoyarsk, the Independent Testing Authority (ITA) announced to TASS on Thursday.  On January 16, the International University Sports Federation (FISU) signed an agreement with the ITA on cooperation in the sphere of doping control at the 2019 Winter Universiade.  Asked by a TASS correspondent about the number of doping officers to be involved at the 2019 Universiade, the ITA press service replied "Number of employees: 3 ITA employees, plus 16 Doping Control Officers."  The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Executive Board announced at its session on March 16, 2017 a decision to set up the Independent Testing Authority (ITA), which among other issues deals with the development of individual doping testing. The ITA is chaired by ex-sports minister of France Valerie Fourneyron.  The Russian Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, which has a population of over one million, was elected to host the 2019 Winter Universiade at the session of the FISU Executive Committee in Brussels in 2013. The event is scheduled for March 2-12, 2019.  The Winter Universiade is an international sporting and cultural festival which is staged every two years in a different city. The name of the international sports event is a combination of two words, which are ‘University’ and ‘Olympiad.’  It is only second to the Olympic Games. The program of the Winter Universiade currently includes 6 compulsory sports (8 compulsory disciplines) and up to 3 optional sports chosen by the host country.  The 2019 Winter Universiade in Krasnoyarsk offers 76 sets of medals in 11 sports competitions, which are Alpine Skiing, Curling, Biathlon, Figure Skating, Cross-Country Skiing, Ice Hockey, Snowboard, Short Track Speed Skating, Freestyle Skiing, Bandy and Ski Orienteering.


tass--2019-03-01--Alcohol-free doping samples RUSADA bans Russian athletes from drinking beer during tests

Alcohol-free doping samples: RUSADA bans Russian athletes from drinking beer during tests

© AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty  MOSCOW, March 1. /TASS/. The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) has prohibited national athletes from drinking beer and other soft-alcoholic beverages to speed up the process of urination during doping test procedures, RUSADA Deputy Director General Margarita Pakhnotskaya told TASS on Friday.  Athletes’ bodies are usually dehydrated after crossing the finish line and some of them use beer or other soft-alcoholic drinks as a diuretic agent to accelerate the process of collecting urine doping samples.  "Maintaining a firm stance on clean and healthy sports, we cannot brush something aside like a ban on the consumption of alcohol during doping test procedures," Pakhnotskaya said in an interview with TASS. "This ban will be in force not only for RUSADA’s staff but for all athletes as well."  "With the authority of the national anti-doping agency, RUSADA’s policy now allows athletes only non-alcoholic beverages and bans the consumption of all beverages containing alcohol from the moment of notification about the doping test procedure until this process is over," she said.  "This condition is now included in the manual for doping control officers," Pakhnotskaya continued. "From now on, an athlete caught drinking beer during a doping test procedure will receive an official first warning and it will be documented by a doping control officer. A tougher punishment may follow in the event of a repeated violation."  Pakhnotskaya said that a discovered trace of dissolving substances from the consumption of soft-alcohol drinks in a urine sample of an athlete might distort the outcome of the test for any banned performance enhancing drugs. National track and field athletes in race walks were the most noted beer users during doping test procedures, she added.  "Some international sports federations have already enshrined a ban in their regulations on the consumption of alcoholic beverages during doping control procedures," she said. "For instance, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and FIFA are among them.".  In other media


tass--2019-03-12--Russian Anti-Doping Agency reports over 30 monthly increase in doping tests

Russian Anti-Doping Agency reports over 30% monthly increase in doping tests

MOSCOW, March 12. /TASS/. The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) collected 1,179 doping samples of Russian athletes last month or over 30% more compared to January, RUSADA Deputy Director Margarita Pakhnotskaya told TASS on Tuesday.  "RUSADA doping control officers organized 1,042 doping tests in February collecting 1,179 samples," Pakhnotskaya said in an interview with TASS.  "A total of 389 doping tests were held in February during the in-competition period and 653 more during the out-of-competition period," she added.  In January this year, RUSADA organized 789 doping tests collecting 825 samples (blood and urine), which was over 30% less compared to February figures.  RUSADA Director General Yury Ganus told TASS earlier that the national anti- doping agency planned to collect this year 11,000 doping samples and to increase this figure to 13,000 in 2020. The increase in the number of doping samples is planned to be achieved by the cost reduction in logistics and more effective work’s organization.  According to a report on RUSADA’s work in 2017-2018, delievered by Ganus earlier in the week at the annual session of the iNADO (Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations) in Lausanne, agency’s doping control inspectors collected a total of 14,693 doping samples over the previous two years (6,196 in 2017 and 8,497 in 2018).  The RUSADA received 98 applications for the Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) permits in 2017 and 101 applications in 2018.  The Russian Anti-Doping Agency initiated 145 cases in 2018 regarding the violations of anti-doping rules. In 2017, the agency opened 57 cases on the same violations and closed 52 of them.  A total of 98 violations by athletes of availability rules were registered in 2017 compared to 263 cases in 2018.  The Russian Anti-Doping Agency also organized 155 educational events in 2017 with the participation of 9,320 people. In 2018, the agency held 169 educational events, which involved 9,784 people.


tass--2019-03-19--RUSADA officers take doping samples of Russian footballers ahead of match with Belgium

© AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko  NOVOGORSK /Moscow Region/, March 19. /TASS/. Eight players from the Russian national football team were summoned on Tuesday morning to undergo doping tests, team’s doctor Eduard Bezuglov told journalists.  The Russian national football team’s players gathered early this week for a training camp in the Moscow Region’s town of Novogorsk ahead of their two international fixtures on Thursday and Sunday.  "A large group of inspectors from the Russian Anti-Doping Agency [RUSADA] arrived today at 8:45 a.m. [Moscow time]," Bezuglov said. "Eight players from the team were ordered to undergo doping tests."  "The doping tests included taking both blood and urine samples as we have nothing to hide," Bezuglov, who is also the head of the Russian Football Union’s (RFU) Medical Committee, stated.  "The visit of anti-doping inspectors did not impact the schedule of the team’s preparations and everything went in line with standard procedures," he added.  The match between the Russian and Belgian national football teams is scheduled to kick off on March 21 at 10:45 p.m. local time (21:45 GMT) at the over 50,000-seat capacity King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels.  The national teams of Russia and Belgium last met playing a friendly match in the Russian southern resort city of Sochi in March 2017. The hosting side was down 1-3 in the course of the match but managed to come back drawing the score at 3-3. In all, Belgium won three out of its previous five matches against Russia, while the other two games ended with a draw.  The matches of the 2020 Euro Cup will be held at stadiums in cities of 12 different European countries, namely in London (England), Munich (Germany), Rome (Italy), Baku (Azerbaijan), Saint Petersburg (Russia), Bucharest (Romania), Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Dublin (Ireland), Bilbao (Spain), Budapest (Hungary), Glasgow (Scotland) and Copenhagen (Denmark).  In other media


tass--2019-04-03--Russian basketballer Balandin gets 4-year suspension over doping abuse

© EPA-EFE/Bartlomiej Zborowski  MOSCOW, April 3. /TASS/. Russian basketball player Roman Balandin has been slapped with a four-year suspension for using banned performance enhancing substance meldonium, a spokesman for the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) told TASS on Wednesday.  The Russian anti-doping body announced on its official website on April 2 that Balandin, who plays for Russian basketball club Avtodor Saratov was disqualified for the term of four years starting May 19, 2017, violations of anti-doping regulations, but no further information followed.  "The basketball player has been suspended for the use of banned performance enhancing drug meldonium," the spokesman told TASS.  Balandin joined Avtodor club in 2015 and debuted on the club’s main roster in December 2016 in a match against Khimki club from the Moscow Region.  The drug meldonium (mildronate) was included in the list of preparations banned by WADA from January 1, 2016. The presence of the meldonium substance in the athlete’s blood during and between competitions is a violation of anti- doping rules. The substance belongs to S4 class on the WADA blacklist (hormones and metabolic modulators).  Meldronate is a cardiovascular medication freely available for purchase at pharmacies across Russia without a doctor’s prescription.  In other media


tass--2019-04-09--Russian basketballer Krylov suspended for 18 months over doping abuse

© Mikhail Tereshchenko/TASS  MOSCOW, April 9. /TASS/. /TASS/. Russian basketball player Kirill Krylov has been found guilty of violating anti-doping rules and suspended for the period of 18 months, the press service of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) reported on Tuesday.  The doping sample of the 17-year-old basketballer tested positive for a banned performance enhancing drug and his suspension starts on July 10, 2018.  During the 2017/2018 season Krylov played for the national youth team as well as for the national Russian basketball team.  In other media


tass--2019-04-09--Russian boxer Tamir Galanov slapped with two-year suspension over doping abuse

### Tamir Galanov (right)  © Mikhail Japaridze/TASS  MOSCOW, April 9. /TASS/. The Russian Boxing Federation has suspended for two years boxer Tamir Galanov for violating anti-doping regulations, the press service of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) reported on Tuesday.  The two-year suspension of the 30-year-old boxer starts from March 12, 2019 and was imposed after his doping samples tested positive for a prohibited performance enhancing drug.  Galanov is the bronze medalist of the 2017 World Boxing Championship, the silver medalist of the 2011 European Championship and four-time champion of Russia.  In other media


tass--2019-04-23--Two Russian track and field athletes slapped with bans over doping abuse

MOSCOW, April 23. /TASS/. Russia’s long jumper Yelena Mashinistova and shot putter Ruslan Khalikov has been suspended by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) for violations of anti-doping regulations, the press service of the All-Russia Athletics Federation (RusAF) reported on Tuesday.  Doping samples of both athletes tested positive for the banned performance enhancing substance hydrochlorothiazide.  Mashinistova, 25, has been barred from sports for the period of one year starting with the date of her previously imposed temporary suspension and is allowed to be back on the field from October 30, 2019. Khalikov, 27, received a six-month suspension, which is set to expire on May 27, 2019.  Mashinistova is the bronze medalist of the 2018 Russian Indoor Athletics Championship. In July 2018 she filed an application with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) for a neutral status participation in international tournaments due to the current suspension of the All-Russia Athletics Federation (RusAF) with the international athletics body.  In other media


tass--2019-05-13--Russian high jumper Maria Lasitskene undergoes nine doping tests in 2019

MOSCOW, May 13. /TASS/. Russia’s Maria Lasitskene, the World and European champion in high jump, underwent nine doping tests since January 2019, her husband Vladas Lasitskas wrote in his Twitter account on Monday.  According to his Twitter, in the first four months of this year doping control officers collected from Lasitskene, who won the 2019 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow in March, six urine samples, two blood samples for the Athlete Biological Passport and one general blood analysis sample.  Lasitskene’s manager Olga Nazarova told TASS in late April that the athlete, who has been earlier granted the neutral status by the IAAF (the International Association of Athletics Federations), plans to enter competitions of five different international tournaments in June with the IAAF Diamong League stage in Sweden’s Stockholm (begins on May 30).  The IAAF Doping Review Board approved on December 18, 2018 an updated version of the Guidance Note for Authorized Neutral Athlete (ANA) status applications and sent the document to the RusAF.  The RusAF started accepting neutral status applications from national track and field athletes on December 19. The world’s governing athletics body has already granted neutral-status participation permits to 67 Russian track and field athletes.  According to the IAAF regulations, the global athletics body has the right to disregard individual applications unaccompanied by an official document from the RusAF with all the necessary information, which the federation has in regard to a particular applicant. The document must also state whether the RusAF confirms that an applicant is in compliance with all requirements and whether it grants its own approval.  As of May 13, the IAAF turned down 20 neutral status applications from Russian track and field athletes. The RusAF has already received 286 applications from national athletes requesting to grant them a neutral status, of which 277 have been sent to the IAAF.  In other media


tass--2019-05-14--IIHF Doping tests of all players at 2019 Ice Hockey World Championship are negative

IIHF: Doping tests of all players at 2019 Ice Hockey World Championship are negative

© EPA-EFE/Bartlomiej Zborowski  BRATISLAVA, May 14. /TASS/. Players of all national teams participating in the 2019 IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) World Championship underwent tests for banned performance enhancing drugs and all doping samples tested negative, the IIHF press service announced to TASS.  "All teams before the IIHF World Championship in Slovakia were checked by doping-control officers and all doping tests were negative," the press service reported.  The 2019 IIHF World Championship is hosted by Slovakia between May 10 and 26. The participating teams were divided into Groups A and B. Group A is playing matches in Slovakia’s Kosice and includes hosts Slovakia, Canada, the United States, Finland, Germany, Denmark, France and Great Britain.  Group B is playing matches in Bratislava and enlists teams from Sweden, Russia, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Norway, Latvia, Austria and Italy.  Russia currently tops its Group B with nine points and is scheduled to play the next match on May 15 against Italy.  Slovakia offers two venues for hosting matches of the championship and they are the country’s capital of Bratislava and the country’s second largest city of Kosice. Each city hosts 28 matches of the group stage as well as two quarterfinals.  The semifinals, the final and the match for the bronze will be played in Bratislava at the over 10,000-seat capacity Ondrej Nepela Arena. Kosice, which has a population of 240,000, offers the over 8,300-seat capacity Steel Arena.  In other media


tass--2019-06-17--Russian sprinter Vruchinsky slapped with four-year suspension over doping abuse

MOSCOW, June 17. /TASS/. Russian sprinter Pavel Vruchinsky has been sanctioned with a four-year suspension for vioaltions of anti-doping regulations, the press service of the All-Russia Athletics Federation (RusAF) announced on Monday.  According to the press service, a doping sample of the 27-year-old Russian runner tested positive for the banned performance enhancing drug Oxandrolone and Vruchinsky failed to provide any evidence of an unintentional consumption of this banned substance.  Vruchinsky is the silver medalist of the 2018 Russia Cup in 100 meters running. He was fifth on the same distance at the 2018 Russian Championship in Kazan.


tass--2019-07-03--Russian runner Nurgaliyev slapped with 2-year suspension over positive doping test

MOSCOW, July 3. /TASS/. Russian long-distance runner Ilyas Nurgaliyev has been suspended for a two-year term over violations of anti-doping regulations, the press service of the All-Russia Athletics Federation (RusAF) announced on Wednesday.  According to the press service, a doping sample of the 23-year-old track and field athlete tested positive for banned performance enhancing drug Oxilofrine.  The two-year suspension of Nurgaliyev starts from August 10, 2018, while all of his athletic results after July 21, 2018 will be cancelled.


tass--2019-08-15--Russian boxer Povetkin to undergo doping tests before and after his bout with Hughie Fury

MOSCOW, August 15. /TASS/. Russian heavyweight boxer Alexander Povetkin will undergo doping tests before and after his fight on August 31 in London against Britain’s Hughie Fury, Vadim Kornilov, the head of the Boxing World promotion company, told TASS on Thursday.  Both Povetkin and Fury decided to sign up with the program of the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).  "VADA carries out doping tests during the preparations for the fight as well as after the bout," Kornilov said in an interview with TASS. "It is impossible to say in advance how many doping samples will be collected in total."  According to VADA’s official website: "The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association is an independent organization founded to offer and promote effective anti-doping programs in boxing and mixed martial arts… Through voluntary participation, VADA aims to help protect the health and safety of athletes who are willing to demonstrate their commitment to clean sport."  The fight between 39-year-old Povetkin and 24-year-old Fury at the O2 Arena in London this month will be held within the frames of the Night of the Championship Boxing event, which has the prime fight of the night between WBA and WBO Lightweight Champion Vasily Lomachenko of Ukraine and Luke Campbell of Great Britain.  Late last year Povetkin underwent surgery on his elbows and media reported later that the Russian boxer was most likely to hold his next fight in the US city of Chicago in May. However, Povetkin told TASS in late March that as his next fight was still unscheduled, he continued practicing hard.  Povetkin, who turns 40 in September, said at that time that he was "not thinking about wrapping up with sports career."  On September 22, 2018, UK’s WBA belt holder Anthony Joshua defeated Povetkin in the seventh round with a technical knockout, defending his WBA (World Boxing Association), WBO (World Boxing Organization) and IBF (International Boxing Federation) world heavyweight titles. The Russian boxer was rushed for medical assistance after the match.  Povetkin is known to the fans as the ‘Russian Vityaz,’ and boasts a personal record of 34 wins (24 KOs) and two defeats throughout his career. The Russian boxer is also gold medalist of the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens.  Hughie Fury, who is a cousin of former IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO Champion Tyson Fury, has a record of 23 wins (13 by KOs) and two defeats.


tass--2019-08-28--Russian runner Dementyev suspended for four years over doping abuse

MOSCOW, August 28. /TASS/. Russian runner Andrei Dementyev has been suspended for the period of four years for violations of anti-doping regulations, the press office of the All-Russia Athletics Federation (RusAF) reported on Wednesday.  The 22-year-old athlete’s in-competition doping sample, which was collected in Irkutsk on June 8 at the Siberian Federal District’s tournament, tested positive for a number of banned performance enhancing drugs, including metabolites of androsterone and exogenous testosterone.  Dementyev has been slapped with a four-year ban starting from August 14, 2019 and all his athletic results since June 8, 2019 have been annulled.


tass--2019-08-30--IAAF suspends Russian race walker Medvedeva for eight years over doping abuse

MOSCOW, August 30. /TASS/. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has imposed an eight-year suspension on Russian race walker Yekaterina Medvedeva citing violations of anti-doping regulations, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced in a statement on Friday.  According to the AIU, the suspension against the 25-year-old Russian track and field athlete was imposed due to "Use of a Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method" and comes into force on March 27, 2019.  A probe against Medvedeva was launched in February 2019. Her eight-year suspension comes into force on March 27, 2019 and all results achieved by the athlete between January 31, 2018 and March 27, 2019 will be annulled.  In 2013, Medvedeva was suspended for two-years for doping abuse. The race walker returned to the sport after her suspension term expired on June 12, 2015.  Medvedeva is the winner of the 2012 IAAF World Race Walking Cup in 10 km distance and is also the winner of one of the Russian championships.  The Athletics Integrity Unit was established by IAAF in April 2017 with the task to fight doping in the sport of track and field athletics. The AIU, led by Brett Clothier, is operating independently from the world’s governing body of athletics.


tass--2019-09-05--Russian sports chief says the country has overcome the peak of doping problems

"There are still some sports, which are in a really complicated situation - biathlon, track and field athletics, as their federations are limited in their rights, but the most important that our national team will be participating in the [2020 Summer] Olympics under the national flag and in the uniform of the national team," Kolobkov, who is taking part in the 2019 Eastern Economic Forum in Russia’s Vladivostok, said in an interview with TASS.  VLADIVOSTOK, September 5. /TASS/. Russia has overcome the peak of doping problems in sports and continues exerting all efforts in the fight against the abuse of banned performance enhancing drugs, Russian Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov told TASS on Thursday.  "I will be not recalling now what enormous work we have done because this is a topic for a separate conversation," the minister continued. "The main and the concluding stage is currently underway with WADA [the World Anti-Doping Agency] reanalyzing the data and samples from the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory."  "If violations are discovered, investigations will be launched and somebody perhaps will be disqualified, but I believe that we have overcome the peak and the most difficult stage," Kolobkov said.  "The WADA Executive Committee will gather for a meeting on September 23 to discuss an issue regarding samples from the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory," he stated. "A report of the work group, which deals with the reanalysis of the data base, will be delivered at that meeting."  "Russia has implemented all set requirements, handed over the data and samples [from the Moscow Lab]," Kolobkov said. "Our experts are currently closely cooperating with WADA experts."  The WADA Executive Committee reinstated the compliance status of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) on September 20, 2018 on condition that WADA experts would be granted access before December 31, 2018 to doping samples at the Moscow Anti-Doping Lab, which was sealed off in connection with a federal investigation.  Specialists from WADA were granted access to the database of the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory in January and copied 24 terabytes of information on Russian athletes’ doping samples in the period between 2012 and 2015. WADA experts finished their work to retrieve doping samples from the Moscow Lab on April 30 having collected 2,262 doping samples in 4,524 containers (Samples A and B).  The WADA Executive Committee (ExCo) held a conference call on January 22 and, based on the recommendations provided by the agency’s Compliance and Review Committee (CRC), ruled to uphold the compliance status of RUSADA.  The WADA Compliance and Review Committee recommended the Executive Committee to take no further sanctions against RUSADA at the moment and the ExCo upheld the recommendation.  In early July, WADA announced that it suspected 298 Russian athletes of violating anti-doping regulations based on the LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) data retrieved from the Moscow Anti-Doping Lab.  According to the WADA, its Intelligence and Investigations (I&I) body compiled evidentiary packages following the reanalysis of the data and these packages were sent to the relevant international sports federations, "which have commenced assessment of the evidence with a view to identifying those cases to take forward as Anti-Doping Rule Violations.".


tass--2019-10-04--Russian runner Shubenkov says double standards in doping control are applied to Russia

According to the Russian runner, who is the 2015 IAAF world champion and the silver medalist of the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Doha, a recent situation with US sprinter Christian Coleman is one of the proofs of double standards.  DOHA, October 4. /TASS, Artyom Kuznetsov/. Russian world champion in 110m hurdles Sergei Shubenkov told TASS he believed that double standards are applied in regard to Russian athletes on the issue of doping control in sports.  "In fact, it was another illustration of double standards in the fight against doping," Shubenkov said in an interview with TASS. "I knew about these double standards much earlier, and it was immediately clear that the approach [applied] to Russia was biased."  "These double standards expose the fact that much stricter measures are applied to Russia, but such situations as the one with Coleman shed the light on the real state of affairs and more people, who really care, come to realize that in the fight against doping in Russia the same approaches must be applied in regard to other countries as well," Shubenkov said.  At the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Qatar’s Doha, 23-year-old Coleman won the gold in 100m sprint. His victory came only three weeks after he managed to evade a punishment for skipping three doping tests in a row. His lawyers managed to prove that he skipped only two doping tests during the period of 365 days stipulated by the regulations.  The IAAF suspended RusAF’s (the All-Russia Athletics Federation) membership in November 2015, following a wave of anti-doping rules violations and formed a special mission on the issue. The IAAF Taskforce Group, led by Norwegian expert Rune Andersen, was set up to oversee Russia’s implementation of requirements for RusAF’s membership reinstatement with the IAAF.  However, the IAAF permitted clean athletes from Russia to participate in the international tournaments under the neutral status or the Authorized Neutral Athlete (ANA) until the membership of the RusAF was reinstated. The ANA status prohibits Russian athletes from participating under the national flag.  Last week, IAAF ruled to keep in force the membership suspension of RusAF. The decision was made at the IAAF Council Meeting in Doha on September 23 and meant that Russian track and field athletes would be taking part in the 2019 IAAF World Championships, which is hosted by Qatar between September 27 and October 6, in the status of the Authorized Neutral Athlete (ANA).


tass--2019-10-09--Putin has no plans to discuss doping claims against Russia at sports council — spokesman

MOSCOW, October 9. /TASS/. Recent doping allegations against Russia by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) were not planned to be discussed by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the session of the Council for the Development of Physical Culture and Sport on Thursday, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS on Wednesday.  "It has not been planned," Peskov answered the relevant question.


tass--2019-10-11--RUSADA firm on maintaining athletes’ alcohol consumption ban during doping tests

RUSADA Deputy Director General Margarita Pakhnotskaya said speaking at ‘Russia - Country of Sports’ international sports forum in Nizhny Novgorod that she had been subjected to stern criticism after the ban on the consumption of alcoholic and low-alcoholic beverages during doping tests was enforced.  NIZHNY NOVGOROD, October 11. /TASS/. The Russia Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) received an aggressive response after the agency prohibited athletes from consuming alcoholic beverages during doping test procedures, a senior executive with RUSADA said on Friday.  "There were in fact three reasons to introduce this ban," Pakhnotskaya said. "Firstly, it is detrimental to the health of an athlete and it is proved by findings of numerous expert commissions."  "Secondly, the consumption of alcohol leads to acts of an indecent behavior at doping control centers and it was not only about indecent behavior, but also about voiced threats in regard to doping control officers," she continued.  "Thirdly, alcohol obstructs the process of detecting a possible consumption of a banned performance enhancing drug," Pakhnotskaya added.  Pakhnotskaya stated in early March that RUSADA had prohibited national athletes from drinking beer and other soft-alcoholic beverages to speed up the process of urination during doping test procedures.  Athletes’ bodies are usually dehydrated after crossing the finish line and some of them use beer or other soft-alcoholic drinks as a diuretic agent to accelerate the process of collecting urine doping samples.  Pakhnotskya said in March that: "Some international sports federations have already enshrined a ban in their regulations on the consumption of alcoholic beverages during doping control procedures. For instance, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and FIFA are among them.".


tass--2019-10-14--All-Russia Athletics Federation bans two national runners over doping abuse

MOSCOW, October 14. /TASS/. The All-Russia Athletics Federation (RusAF) has suspended two national runners, Roman Maleyev and Andrei Leshchenko, for two years each for violations of anti-doping regulations, RusAF’s press service announced in a statement on Monday.  According to the statement, 33-year-old Maleyev has been slapped with a two-year suspension after his doping sample tested positive for a banned performance enhancing drug of Class S6 stimulators.


tass--2019-10-16--Kremlin declines to comment on RUSADA head remarks on alleged changes in doping tests

MOSCOW, October 16. /TASS/. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has refused to provide comments regarding the remarks made by Director General of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) Yuri Ganus alleging that doping test results sent by the Moscow Lab to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had been changed.  "Our sports authorities have just sent a detailed answer to WADA questions. Each question was answered separately, let us wait for a reaction to our answers. Currently, I don’t deem it possible to comment on anything," Peskov told reporters.  Earlier, The New York Times published Ganus’ statement alleging that people close to Russian authorities had made "thousands of changes" in doping test results transmitted to international experts by the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory, which led to WADA’s issues with RUSADA.


tass--2019-10-16--Russian figure skater Koshevaya slapped with 2-year ban over doping abuse

MOSCOW, October 16. /TASS/. Russian figure skater Alexandra Koshevaya has been sanctioned with a two-year suspension for violating anti-doping rules during the 2019 Winter Universiade in Krasnoyarsk, the press service of the International Skating Federation (ISU) said in a statement on Wednesday.  "Following an In-Competition Anti-Doping test carried out under FISU testing authority on March 7, 2019, the ISU on March 26, 2019, received the laboratory result of [Koshevaya’s] sample <…> with an adverse analytical finding for the presence of Torasemide," the statement reads.  The suspension term of the 19-year-old figure skater comes into force starting on March 7, 2019 and the decision of the ISU may be appealed within a period of 21 days.  The ISU also said in its statement that the Russian athlete had admitted that she consumed the banned drug and decided against opening Sample B of her doping test. Koshevaya claimed that she took the drug to heal a swelling on her leg not long before the Universiade.  "On April 24, 2019, the Alleged Offender filed her explanation and admitted having taken Torasemide because she had had a swelling (edema) of her foot not long before the Universiade after reading in the internet that the substance may help to remove the swelling," the statement reads.  "She further stated that she was aware that diuretics are forbidden but she had not known that Torasemide is a diuretic because it is not contained in the WADA Prohibited List," according to ISU. "She underlined to have taken the medicine with no intentions other than to remove the swelling but admitted her mistake not to have inquired about the details of Torasemide and not consulted a sports doctor before its intake."  The statement added that Koshevaya had regretted "what had happened" and took an obligation "never to take any medicine without prior consultation with specialists again."  Koshevaya won the bronze of the 2019 Winter Universiade in pair skating with partner Dmitry Bushlanov.


tass--2019-10-18--Russian track and field athletes are still most tested for doping in Russia — RUSADA

MOSCOW, October 18. /TASS/. Russian track and fielders remain to be in the group of the most tested athletes for banned performance enhancing drugs since the start of the year compared to other sports, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) stated on Friday in a report provided to TASS.  Russian track and field athletes are still most tested for doping — anti-doping watchdog  The report states that in the period between January and September included, a total number of 791 national track and field athletes underwent doping tests.  National weightlifters make the second most tested group in Russia and within the same period this year their number reached 231, according to the report.  RUSADA inspectors also collected doping samples of 155 swimmers, 154 cross-country skiers and 100 biathletes.  The Russian governing track and field athletics RusAF is currently suspended by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).  The IAAF suspended RusAF’s membership in November 2015, following a wave of anti-doping rules violations and formed a special mission on the issue. The IAAF Taskforce, led by Norwegian expert Rune Andersen, was set up to oversee Russia’s implementation of requirements for RusAF’s membership reinstatement with the IAAF.  However, the IAAF permitted clean athletes from Russia to participate in the international tournaments under the neutral status or the Authorized Neutral Athlete (ANA) until the membership of the RusAF was reinstated. The ANA status prohibits Russian athletes from participating under the national flag.


tass--2019-11-01--Belarusian high jumper Nabokov is temporarily suspended on doping abuse suspicions

MOSCOW, November 1. /TASS/. Belarusian high jumper Dmitry Nabokov has been temporarily suspended on suspicions of violating anti-doping regulations, the press service of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced on Friday.  According to the AIU, a doping sample of the 23-year-old track and field athlete from Belarus tested positive for a banned performance enhancing drug, furosemide.  Nabokov is the holder of the Belarusian national record in high jump (2 meters 36 centimeters). He took part in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro and was the champion of the Under-23 European Athletics Championships.  At the 2019 IAAF World Championships, hosted by Qatar’s Doha between September 27 and October 6, Nabokov showed 9th result.


tass--2019-11-05--New doping test procedure may be launched at 2020 Games in Tokyo, says IOC chief Bach

WADA announced last month in a statement that it had signed a series of memorandums of understanding with "seven Anti-Doping Organizations (ADOs) regarding the development and implementation of dried-blood-spot (DBS) testing."  KATOWICE /Poland/, November 5. /TASS/. A new method of doping testing, which was announced by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in October, may be used as early as starting from the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said on Tuesday.  "Based on the progress with regards to anti-doping research, which has been made thanks to the joint efforts with the governments and WADA, we can look confidently to the future," IOC President Bach said speaking at the 5th World Conference on Doping in Sport, hosted by Poland’s Katowice on Tuesday.  "In this respect, one of the promising collective research projects is the Dried Blood Spot method," the IOC president continued. "This DBS method could very well revolutionize the anti-doping fight, since it will allow for fast, simple and cost-effective collection of samples that can be easily and cheaply transported and stored."  According to the statement from WADA last month, the seven anti-doping organizations, which signed the memorandum of understanding are: Antidoping Switzerland, Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority, the China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA), IOC, ITA (the International Testing Authority), Japan Anti-Doping Agency and the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).  "Reflecting the spirit of all stakeholders joining forces, this is very much a collaborative project between WADA, the IOC, the International Testing Agency, as well as several National Anti-Doping Organizations, including the United States, China, Japan, Switzerland and Australia," Bach stated.  "In a meeting between these partners, it was agreed that the DBS method should be implemented no later than at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 but that some aspects of DBS testing could be used as early as the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020," the IOC president added.  The 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo are scheduled to be held between July 24 and August 9 and the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games will run between August 25 and September 6.  During the 128th IOC session in Kuala Lumpur on July 31, 2015, Beijing was elected the host city for the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games making the Chinese capital the first city ever to host both Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games (in 2008) as well as Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games (in 2022).


tass--2019-11-07--Russian long jumper Petrov slapped with 4-year suspension over doping abuse

MOSCOW, November 7. /TASS/. Russian long jumper Alexander Petrov has been suspended for a period of four years for violations of anti-doping regulations, the press office of the All-Russia Athletics Federation (RusAF) reported on Thursday.  The 33-year-old athlete’s in-competition doping sample, which was collected during the Brothers Znamensky Memorial track and field tournament, tested positive for a banned performance enhancing drug, Oxandrolone.  The athlete has been slapped with a four-year ban starting from July 25, 2019 and all his athletic results since July 6, 2019 have been annulled.  Petrov is a bronze medal winner of the 2015 Russian Championships and holder of two bronze medals of the national team competitions (2015, 2017).


tass--2019-12-05--PM Medvedev: Doping accusations against Russia resemble ‘endless anti-Russian soap opera’

"Everything that is connected with a doping scandal reminds me already of an endless anti-Russian soap opera as they have made a decision, introduced punishments and declared suspensions," Medvedev said.  MOSCOW, December 5. /TASS/. Continuous doping abuse accusations of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) against Russian sports look like an ‘endless anti-Russian soap opera,’ Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with Russian television channels on Thursday.  "A bit later, something itched again and they decided — let’s look once again at the very same lists, reanalyze the very same samples to see if we have missed something and we will punish again those, who have been already punished, and in some cases we will also expand the responsibility on other athletes, regardless of their innocence," the Russian prime minister stated.  Medvedev also said that a decision of the World Anti-Doping Agency on possible sanctions regarding Russian sports "will be very tough for our country."  The Russian prime minister added that a problem of consumption of banned performance enhancing drugs in Russia exists but this situation is unacceptable in sports.  "Is there a doping problem here [in Russia]? Yes, there is," Medvedev said in an interview with Russian television channels on Thursday. "Obviously, this is totally unacceptable regarding common approaches to the development of sports in the modern world."


tass--2019-12-05--Russian Anti-Doping Agency carried out up to 9,100 doping tests in Jan.-Nov. 2019

MOSCOW, December 5. /TASS/. The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) has carried out 9,098 doping inspections collecting 10,880 samples in January-November 2019, RUSADA Deputy Director Margarita Pakhnotskaya told TASS on Thursday.  According to the Russian anti-doping official, 676 doping inspections were organized in November and 791 doping samples were collected, compared to 613 inspections and 791 collected samples in October and 605 inspections and 727 collected samples in September.  RUSADA Director General Yury Ganus announced to TASS earlier in the year that the national anti-doping agency planned to collect 11,000 doping samples in 2019 and to increase this figure to 13,000 in 2020. The increase in the number of doping samples was planned to be achieved by the cost reduction in logistics and more effective organization of the work.


tass--2019-12-06--RusAF’s acting chief says Road Map stipulates initial steps of overcoming doping crisis

MOSCOW, December 6. /TASS/. The All-Russia Athletics Federation (RusAF) has stipulated initial steps in its Road Map to overcome the existing situation with violations of anti-doping regulations, RusAF’s press service quoted federation’s acting President Yulia Tarasenko as saying on Friday.  Earlier in the day, RusAF announced that it submitted with the Russian Sports Ministry the Road Map regarding a list of proposals from the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) on the reinstatement of rights of the Russian track and field athletics body with World Athletics.  "We had less than a week to draft a Road Map, but within this period we have managed to analyze everything that was done previously by the federation, took into consideration all mistakes, worked on constructive proposals from colleagues and experts," Tarasenko said.


tass--2019-12-10--International Tennis Federation: Russian players to undergo doping tests abroad

The Executive Committee (ExCo) of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) approved on Monday the recommendations of its Compliance Review Committee (CRC) to cancel the compliance status of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) as well as to strip Russia of the right to participate in major international sports tournaments, including the Olympics and World Championships, for the period of four years.  MOSCOW, December 10. /TASS, Andrey Kartashov/. Russian tennis players will be undergoing tests for banned performance enhancing drugs outside their country, the press service of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said in a statement for TASS.  "Tennis has a zero tolerance anti-doping policy," the ITF statement reads. "All players competing at Grand Slams and ITF, WTA and ATP sanctioned events are subject to the WADA-compliant Tennis Anti-Doping Program (TADP); a comprehensive program which includes athlete biological passports, in-competition and out-of-competition testing and the year-round whereabouts program."  "Russian players will have been tested under the TADP, outside of Russia," the statement added.  The WADA ExCo also ruled on Monday that Russia must not host, or bid for or be granted in the four-year period any major international sports tournament. Russian state officials, as well as the officials of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC), were banned from attending all major international sports tournaments for the period of four years.  The Russian Anti-Doping Agency has the right to appeal WADA’s ruling within a period of 21 days. In case RUSADA decides against submitting an appeal, it can be also filed by heads of the Russian Olympic and Paralympic Committees as well as by heads of the international sports federations.  On November 25, the WADA Compliance Review Committee (CRC) reiterated its previous recommendation for the world anti-doping body’s Executive Committee to strip RUSADA of its compliance status and came up with a recommendation of additional sanctions against Russian sports.  The world’s governing anti-doping body announced on September 23 that it had initiated a probe into the compliance status of RUSADA with the Code of the organization based on the inconsistencies discovered in the data from the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory.


tass--2019-12-10--WADA’s thorough probe into doping abuse in US is needed — Russian legislator

MOSCOW, December 10. /TASS/. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) should carry out a thorough probe into systemic doping abuse in the United States, a member of the State Duma’s Committee on Physical Culture, Sports, Tourism and Youth Affairs, Dmitry Svishchev, told TASS on Tuesday.  The CEO of the US Anti-Doping Agency USADA, Travis Tygart, has repeatedly called for a full ban on Russian athletes’ participation in international competitions.  "It is amazing that the chief of USADA — the anti-doping agency of a country whose national leagues heavily rely on doping — keeps attacking Russia," Svishchev said. "In US sports doping is so customary that nobody conceals it and nobody fights against it."  "Tygart is reluctant to realize that he should better keep quiet about doping. Indeed, how can a representative of a country that has sheltered a real doping criminal, Rodchenkov, dare make such statements? True, they call him informer. In the meantime, Rodchenkov, the Moscow Laboratory’s former chief, is responsible for doping machinations in Russia."  "Tygart’s statement is nothing but crude intervention in the WADA investigation. It’s real pressure. This deserves harsh punishment. I believe that WADA should’ve long launched a probe into systemic doping abuse in the United States. I believe that if such a probe is independent, we will see amazing results," Svishchev claimed.


theguardianuk--2019-01-07--Wada experts set to return to Russia to investigate doping data after IT row

World Anti-Doping Agency experts hope to finally get their hands on secret Russian doping data after a row over specialist IT equipment was resolved.  Wada’s team will fly back to Moscow on Wednesday having been forced to abort their original trip because their equipment, which was reportedly able to extract data from wiped hard drives, was not certified under Russian law.  The news was welcomed by Wada’s president, Sir Craig Reedie, who said: “If the mission is successful in acquiring the data, it will break a long impasse and will potentially lead to many cases being actioned.”  However, Reedie confirmed that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency – which controversially had its ban lifted in September in the face of widespread hostility from athletes and other anti-doping agencies – could still be sanctioned for missing the deadline to hand over the data.  “While Wada is obliged to give every opportunity to Rusada, we are continuing to act on the basis of the 31 December deadline having been missed, with all the consequences that failure could bring,” said Reedie, who confirmed that Wada’s independent compliance committee would discuss the case on 14 January.  If Rusada is suspended it would lead to Russia being banned from hosting sporting events. However, the latest news is bound to be treated with scepticism from those in the anti-doping world who continue to believe that Wada is bending over backwards to help Russia.  Last week, Travis Tygart, the chief executive of US Anti-Doping, blamed Wada for being soft on Russia and for having concocted a secret deal with the country’s authorities in September to let Rusada back in. “The situation is a total joke and an embarrassment for Wada and the global anti-doping system,” he said.  Wada maintains that it needs the data to build strong cases against cheats and to exonerate other athletes suspected of having participated in state-sponsored Russian doping. According to a report published by Professor Richard McLaren more than 1,000 Russian athletes across more than 30 sports were involved in the process.


theguardianuk--2019-01-17--Wada retrieves doping data from Moscow but doubts linger over veracity

The World Anti-Doping Agency says its expert team has finally managed to retrieve all the doping data from the Moscow laboratory – but admits it cannot yet be sure whether it is genuine.  Wada has been attempting to get its hands on the data since 2015 in order to build cases against thousands of Russian athletes who are suspected of being involved in state-sponsored doping. However Russia had refused to cooperate until Wada’s executive committee controversially decided to lift the suspension of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency in September. That decision angered many athletes and other anti-doping agencies – and their frustration only increased when Russia then missed a 31 December deadline to let Wada have the data.  However Wada’s president Sir Craig Reedie hailed the news as a “major breakthrough for clean sport” after Wada’s three-strong team of experts finally completed its Moscow mission on Thursday.  “It shows we are continuing to make real progress that simply would not have happened without the 20 September ExCo decision,” Reedie added. “The long impasse around access to the former Moscow Laboratory has been broken and that is significantly good news.”  However many in the anti-doping world remain sceptical of Russia, with rumours rife that the original data may well have been wiped by the authorities. And Reedie conceded that Wada would now need to “authenticate and review the data to ensure it is complete and that it has not been compromised.  “Given the amount of data, that will take some time to achieve but our experts have the tools they need to be able to verify the data with a high degree of confidence,” he said. “Once the data have been authenticated, we will be in a position to proceed to the third phase and support the various sports and other anti-doping organisations concerned to build strong cases against athletes who doped and, as part of that, ensure that certain samples that are still stored in the Moscow Laboratory are reanalysed in an accredited laboratory no later than 30 June 2019.”  The Russian Anti-Doping Agency could yet be suspended again because the Russians missed the 31 December deadline. Wada’s independent Compliance Review Committee, which met on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss the case, which will be considered by Wada’s Executive Committee on 22 January.


theguardianuk--2019-01-25--Marathon champion Jemima Sumgong has doping ban doubled to eight years

The 2016 Olympic marathon champion Jemima Sumgong has had her doping ban increased to eight years after her claims that she was injected with EPO by an “imposter” at a Kenyan hospital during a doctor’s strike were dismissed.  The unprecedented sanction was made after the IAAF’s independent disciplinary tribunal ruled there was “compelling evidence” Sumgong had also fabricated her medical records and lied about her whereabouts after a positive test for EPO in 2017, for which she later received a four-year ban.  That ban was doubled by the IAAF on Friday after the tribunal, chaired by Michael Beloff QC, decided Sumgong had committed a second anti-doping offence of “tampering with a doping control”. Because of changes to the World Anti-Doping Agency code the Kenyan was able to be punished with another four-year ban.  The ruling means Sumgong, who was the first Kenyan woman to win Olympic marathon gold, is banned until 3 April 2025.  The news was welcomed by Brett Clothier, the head of the Athletics Integrity Unit, who said it struck a blow against doping in Kenyan. “We hope that it sends a message to dopers that the AIU has strong investigative capabilities and does not tolerate false evidence in doping cases,” he said.  “We also want to underline the vital support of Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya in pursuing this case. They are a valuable partner in the fight against doping in Kenya.”  The remarkable case began when Sumgong tested positive for EPO in April 2017 – and then tried to explain it away by saying she had suffered a ruptured ectopic pregnancy on the 22-23 February 2017 which had led to an injection and a blood transfusion at a Nairobi hospital.  Shortly afterwards Sumgong, who had previously suffered an ectopic pregnancy in 2009, also provided anti-doping officials with five fabricated hospital documents to support her case.  However the Kenyan hospital confirmed she had not visited the hospital in February 2017, said her documents were fake because they lacked a unique hospital number, and insisted that such a serious problem as a ruptured ectopic pregnancy would have required a four-day stay at an acute gynaecology ward.  Sumgong later claimed she had been treated by an “imposter” because there had been a doctor’s strike which explained the lack of a proper record of her visit. However she was unable to explain how Wada’s whereabouts records showed she was in Kapsabet – a five-hour drive away – at the time.  In explaining his verdict, Beloff said he found “compelling evidence demonstrating the athlete submitted false medical documents to an anti-doping organisation and to the tribunal”.  “[It] can only be analysed as a deliberate attempt to prevent the administration of justice in her case,” he said. “Perjury and forgery inevitably go beyond the bounds of legitimate defence under any civilised system of law.”  Beloff also noted that Sumgong had also failed to provide evidence she had travelled to Nairobi in late February. “To put the matter colloquially she couldn’t be in two places at once,” he wrote.


theguardianuk--2019-02-08--Russias Paralympic doping ban lifted after IPC praises significant reforms

Russia’s Paralympic doping ban lifted after IPC praises ‘significant reforms’

Russia will rejoin the Paralympics community next month after the International Paralympic Committee decide to lift a suspension imposed in 2016 for widespread doping.  The IPC acted after saying Russia had met 69 of its 70 reinstatement criteria and made significant reform. The one exemption was the country’s lack of an official response to the McLaren report, which revealed that more than 1,000 Russian athletes were involved in a massive state-sponsored doping programme.  Explaining the decision, which will come into effect on 15 March, the IPC president, Andrew Parsons, said: “It is the IPC governing board’s firm belief that keeping the RPC suspended is no longer necessary and proportionate to the situation we now face in Russia. Russian para athletes are amongst, and will continue to be, the most tested athletes in the Paralympic movement.  “With these factors in mind, maintaining the RPC’s suspension on the grounds of Russia’s continuing refusal to not accept the McLaren report does not seem right. We need to move things forward and find a solution that protects the integrity of para sport, acknowledges the significant reforms made by the RPC and enables the RPC to comply with its membership obligations.”  Chelsey Gotell, the IPC athletes’ council chairperson, admitted not every athlete would approve. “I acknowledge that some para athletes may disagree with this decision or disapprove of the IPC governing board’s change of position on the original criteria,” she said. “Although I can certainly appreciate this perspective, I also think it is vital for para athletes to consider and appreciate just how far the RPC has come since August 2016 and that this decision has been made with further protections put in place.  “If at any point over the next quadrennial these conditions are not fully met, I am confident that just as we did in August 2016, the IPC governing board will act swiftly to ensure appropriate action is taken.”  The IPC’s decision means that the IAAF, athletics’ governing body, is the only major sports organisation to still have its suspension of Russia in place.


theguardianuk--2019-04-02--Wigans woes continue after prop charged with doping violation

Wigan’s woes continue after prop charged with doping violation

The Wigan prop Gabe Hamlin has been charged with a UK Anti-Doping violation and has been provisionally suspended by the Rugby Football League.  Wigan say Hamlin, who is in the second of a two-year contract with the Super League champions, has already left the UK on a flight to Australia.  The Wigan chairman, Ian Lenagan, said: “Wigan will look to support Gabriel throughout this process until its conclusion and thereafter. Gabriel has requested to be closer to his family during this difficult time and we fully support this request.”  The news compounds a miserable start to the season for Wigan, who have had a suspended points deduction for a breach of the salary cap, went on a five-match losing run, had their winger Craig Mullen charged with drink-driving nine days ago and are still waiting to find out if former captain Shaun Edwards will take up their offer to become their next coach.  Lenagan, who had announced last August that the Wales defensive coach had signed a three-year contract, was forced to apologise to supporters for the confusion and the embarrassment.  The 22-year-old Hamlin was signed from South Sydney’s Under-20s team on the recommendation of the former Wigan coach Michael Maguire and was named the club’s young player of the year at the end of his first season in England last year.  He narrowly missed out on selection for Wigan’s Grand Final team in October but played in all but one of their opening eight matches of 2019, including the World Club Challenge against Sydney Roosters.  Hamlin was left out of the Wigan team for their last match, a 42-0 win over Catalans Dragons on Sunday.


theguardianuk--2019-10-01--Mo Farahs former coach Alberto Salazar gets four-year ban for doping violations

Mo Farah's former coach Alberto Salazar gets four-year ban for doping violations

Alberto Salazar, the legendary American distance coach who guided Mo Farah to six world titles and four Olympic gold medals, has been sent home from the world championships in Doha following his four-year ban for doping violations. The US Anti-Doping Agency found that Salazar had been “orchestrating and facilitating prohibited doping conduct” while head coach of the Nike Oregon Project, a group that was initially set up to help US endurance athletes beat the best runners from Africa but later recruited Farah and others from around the world.  Farah, who trained with Salazar from 2010 until 2017, admitted he was happy the investigation had finally concluded. “I’m relieved that Usada has, after four years, completed their investigation into Alberto Salazar,” he said in a statement. “I left the Nike Oregon Project in 2017 but as I’ve always said, I have no tolerance for anyone who breaks the rules or crosses a line. A ruling has been made and I’m glad there has finally been a conclusion.”  Salazar was found by an arbitration panel to have trafficked testosterone – a banned performance-enhancing substance – to multiple athletes, administered a prohibited IV infusion, and also tampered or attempted to tamper with Nike Oregon Project athletes’ doping control process.  Jeffrey Brown, who worked as a paid consultant endocrinologist for Nike on performance enhancement and served as a physician for many of Salazar’s athletes, also received a four-year ban. In a statement, Travis Tygart, the CEO of US Anti-Doping, praised the numerous whistleblowers who had come forward and condemned Salazar and Brown’s behaviour.  “The athletes in these cases found the courage to speak out and ultimately exposed the truth,” he added. “While acting in connection with the Nike Oregon Project, Mr Salazar and Dr Brown demonstrated that winning was more important than the health and wellbeing of the athletes they were sworn to protect.”  The IAAF, athletics’ governing body, later confirmed that it had “deactivated” his accreditation. But the 61-year-old Salazar who watched one of his athletes, Sifan Hassan, win the 10,000m gold earlier this week, said he was “shocked” by the outcome and would appeal against it. “The Oregon Project has never and will never permit doping,” he said. “I will appeal and look forward to this unfair and protracted process reaching the conclusion I know to be true.”  “Throughout this six-year investigation my athletes and I have endured unjust, unethical and highly damaging treatment from Usada,” he added. “This is demonstrated by the misleading statement released by Travis Tygart stating that we put winning ahead of athlete safety. This is completely false and contrary to the findings of the arbitrators, who even wrote about the care I took in complying with the world anti-doping code.”  Farah was with Salazar for nearly seven years during which time he went from being just outside elite level to virtually unbeatable. He stuck with his famed coach after allegations against Salazar first surfaced in a BBC and ProPublica report in 2015 and only left in 2017. At the time, Farah denied his decision was connected to the doping claims. Usada first brought doping charges against Salazar and Brown in June 2017 in a court battle that was heard behind closed doors.  One of the BBC and Propublica’s key whistleblowers, Steve Magness, who worked as Salazar’s assistant, tweeted after Usada’s statement: “Tell the truth. Own your mistakes. Choose the difficult path. In the short term, it might feel horrible, but over the long haul it’s the only path to take. Speak up, stay true to your convictions. None of us are perfect. But we can all aspire to be better.”  Nick Willis, a two-time Olympic medalist over 1500m, also said he was delighted at the news. “Justice. I’m tired of having to hide my thoughts. The charade is finally over. Our sport will be much better off with Alberto gone.”  Meanwhile, Nike said that it would back Salazar’s appeal and that Usada’s decision had “nothing to do with administering banned substances to any Oregon Project athlete”.  “As the panel noted, they were struck by the amount of care Alberto took to ensure he was complying with the world anti-doping code. We support Alberto in his decision to appeal and wish him the full measure of due process that the rules require. Nike does not condone the use of banned substances in any manner.”  In a statement UK Athletics defended its decision to stick with Salazar after revelations against him first surfaced in 2015. “It should be noted that at all times UK Athletics fully cooperated with both Usada and Ukad throughout the investigations,” it added. “Furthermore the performance oversight committee’s own investigation in 2015 was restricted to the interaction of the Nike Oregon Project with Mo Farah. and not an anti-doping investigation. Such investigations can and should only be undertaken by the relevant anti-doping authorities.  “UK Athletics is 100% committed to clean athletics through investment in athlete education, supporting comprehensive testing programmes, and full cooperation with both UK and international anti-doping authorities.”