WADA report recommends banning Russia
WADA’s independent report on doping in athletics says that Russia should be banned from international competition for upholding a state-supported doping system.
A highly systemic and widespread use of doping has taken place in Russian sport, with active support from its anti-doping and governmental authorities. And the doping violoations have been ignored by an international athletics federation (IAAF), which itself is hampered by corruption.
These are some of the conclusions from WADA’s Independent Commission (IC), chaired by the former WADA President and current IOC member Richard W. Pound. The commission was set up to investigate the validity of allegations made by ARD’s documentary titled ‘The secrets of Doping: How Russia makes its winners?’.
Among a number of recommendations, the report published on Monday recommends the IAAF to ban Russia from international athletics and WADA to declare the Russian athletics federation and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency to be noncompliant with the World Anti-Doping Code.
The IC also recommends that WADA withdraws its accreditation of the Moscow laboratory, which covered up the use of doping and according to the report purposefully destroyed more than 1,400 samples before a WADA inspection.
The report continues with a harsh criticism of the Russian authorities:
“While written evidence of government involvement has not been produced, it would be naïve in the extreme to conclude that activities on the scale discovered could have occurred without the explicit or tacit approval of Russian governmental authorities.”
The Independent Commission highlights the following five findings in its report – here partially quoted:
- A deeply rooted culture of cheating – The investigation indicates that the acceptance of cheating at all levels is widespread and of long standing.
- Exploitation of athletes - As a result of this mindset, an open and accepted series of unethical behaviours and practices has become the norm.
- Confirmed Athletes Cheating - This Report outlines consistent and systematic use of performance enhancing drugs by many Russian athletes.
- Confirmed Involvement by Doctors, Coaches and Laboratory Personnel – This Report confirms allegations that some Russian doctors and/or laboratory personnel acted as enablers for systematic cheating along with athletics coaches.
- Corruption and Bribery within IAAF - This Report also identifies corruption and bribery practices at the highest levels of international athletics, evidence of which has been transmitted to Interpol for appropriate investigation.