Whistleblower cries witch hunt

Los Angeles, Sept. 23: Russian whistle blower Grigory Rodchenkov, who helped orchestrate the country’s state-sponsored Olympic doping programme, says he fled his homeland because he feared for his life and his family’s safety.

“Two days before I fled, a friend within the government warned me that Russia was planning my ‘suicide’. I thought that my family might be safer with me gone and, if I were to die, at least I would get to tell the truth to the world first,” said Rodchenkov, the former director of Russia’s anti-doping lab that oversaw drug testing at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Writing in a New York Times op-ed piece on Friday, the Russian scientist said some of his comrades have already disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

“Telling the truth is not easy, especially when there are severe consequences,” he wrote. “My comrade and friend, Nikita Kamayev, the longtime director of Russia’s antidoping agency found out the hard way. He had a fatal ‘heart attack’ — Russia’s favoured way to eliminate enemies — after the Kremlin learned he was writing a book about the doping program,” he wrote.

Rodchenkov fled to the United States with evidence of doping in late 2015. He also raised concerns in his piece that Russia may escape sanctions for doping despite overwhelming evidence in support in his claims.

He said the International Olympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency have failed to hold Russia accountable despite evidence of cheating over a wide array of sports.

Rodchenkov said the agency’s inability to swiftly punish Russia for cheating will only “embolden” the country to repeat its transgressions.

“I apologise to everyone I disappointed by helping Russia cheat,” he said. “When senior officials in Russia direct you to do something, you do not ask questions. I had no choice.”

“My former boss, Vitaly Mutko, a deputy prime minister and former minister of sport, has repeatedly denied knowledge of my activities as director of the Moscow Anti-Doping Center, where I oversaw Russia’s doping program with the help of several agents of the Federal Security Bureau (formerly the K.G.B.) and many government officials,” Rodchenkov wrote.

“Let me be clear: Mr Mutko knew about and was critical to the success of Russia’s doping program .... This is a witch hunt, and I am the witch.”

“Russia has been the world’s pre-eminent and most organised doping violator. If the IOC and WADA do not enforce the antidoping agency’s own reform program for Russia, clean athletes everywhere will continue to suffer unfair defeat,” he wrote.

Two days before I fled, a friend within the government warned me that Russia was planning my ‘suicide’. I thought that my family might be safer with me gone and, if I were to die, at least I would get to tell the truth to the world first. I apologise to everyone I disappointed by helping Russia cheat. When senior officials in Russia direct you to do something, you do not ask questions. I had no choice. Russia has been the world’s pre-eminent and most organised doping violator. If the IOC and WADA do not enforce the antidoping agency’s own reform program for Russia, clean athletes everywhere will continue to suffer unfair defeat. — GRIGORY RODCHENKOV