Russia fails to provide data by deadline
MONTREAL: The World AntiDoping Agency’s athlete committee said yesterday anything less than declaring Russia noncompliant would be a considered a failure now that a crucial deadline to hand over laboratory doping data has lapsed.
Wada had conditionally — and controversially — reinstated the Russian AntiDoping Agency (Rusada) in September along with a requirement that it hand over data and samples by December 31.
But Russian authorities failed to provide access to the data and Wada’s compliance review committee (CRC) will now meet on January 1415 to review the situation and make a recommendation to Wada’s executive committee on how to proceed.
‘‘We are extremely disappointed that the December 31 deadline imposed on Russia by Wada has not been adhered to by the Russian authorities,’’ the athlete committee said in a statement.
‘‘We now expect that following the process recommended by the CRC that Russia will be declared noncompliant. Only this action will be suitable and appropriate in the view of the athletes.
‘‘Anything less will be considered a failure by Wada to act on behalf of clean athletes.’’
Wada also faced mounting pressure from national antidoping organisations (Nados), which said yesterday it was time to show that no nation was exempt from compliance with the World AntiDoping Code.
That group of antidoping organisations, including ones from the United States and Germany, called for an immediate review and recommendation from the CRC.
‘‘We recognise Rusada has been working with Wada in an effort to resolve these issues, but the conditions . . . were unequivocal and without data there can be only one outcome,’’ Nado leaders said in a statement.
‘‘The importance of this situation does not warrant providing a further two weeks for Russia to comply.
‘‘With the interest of clean sport hanging in the balance, Wada must call for CRC to convene and consider this matter without further delay.’’ — Reuters
Anything less [than declaring Russia non
compliant] will be considered a failure by Wada to act on behalf
of clean athletes