WADA set to lift ban on Russian Anti-Doping Agency

MONTREAL: The World AntiDoping Agency (WADA) have been given the green light to lift the ban on Russia’s drug-tainted testing authority after a recommendation from investigators, the global doping watchdog said.

A WADA statement said their independent Compliance Review Committee (CRC) had recommended that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) be reinstated when the agency’s executive committee meet on Sept 20.

WADA suspended the RUSADA in 2015 after declaring it to be non-compliant following revelations of a vast, Moscow-backed scheme to avoid drug testers.

A WADA report by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren accused Russian authorities of running an elaborate doping programme with the full support of the Russian Ministry of Sport and the Russian secret service or FSB.

Russian officials had previously concluded that their doping system failed, but refused to acknowledge claims of institutional involvement.

Tensions within WADA emerged earlier this year over whether Russia had done enough for the sanction to be lifted, with some officials arguing they had not fulfilled a “roadmap” to rehabilitation.

However, WADA’s statement on Friday, said their compliance committee had recommended reinstating RUSADA after reviewing a letter from the Russian Ministry of Sport.

“This letter sufficiently acknowledged the issues identified in Russia, therefore fulfilling the first of the two outstanding criteria of RUSADA’s Roadmap to Compliance,” WADA said.

They said Russia had also agreed to provide access to data and samples in its Moscow laboratory to WADA via an independent expert.

That pledge fulfilled the second outstanding criterion on the roadmap, WADA said, “provided that the Executive Committee imposes a clear timeline for such access.”

But WADA’s decision was slammed by the United States AntiDoping Agency chief Travis Tygart, who said there was no evidence Russia was now in compliance.

“Frankly, it stinks to high heaven, WADA should stop the sleight of hand and release the new Compliance Review Committee recommendation as well as any information received from Russia now showing they are compliant,” Tygart said in a statement.

“Today, WADA have unequivocally told the world the type of organisation they are: one that support the desires of a handful of sports administrators over the rights of millions of clean athletes.”

Tygart also challenged RUSADA to provide details from tests carried out at their Moscow laboratory.

“If RUSADA are compliant then great, we now have all the data and samples at the Moscow laboratory and finally justice can be served in the hundreds of cases that have been derailed up to now,” Tygart said.

“If not, the fix has obviously been in since the start.”

If RUSADA’s reinstatement is approved as expected next week, it could have far-reaching implication across the sports world.

Most significantly, it removes a key obstacle to lifting the suspension of Russia by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), track and field’s global governing body.