NZ joins global outcry at Russia

New Zealand’s top Olympic and anti-doping officials have joined the widespread global condemnation of Russia after the latest explosive revelations around what is being termed the biggest doping scandal in sporting history.

The second part of Richard McLaren’s report into the statesponsored doping programme and cover-up orchestrated in Russia between 2011-2015, delivered in the UK yesterday, has served up an even bleaker and more damning picture than his initial revelations in July that prompted many to call for a total ban from the Rio Olympics for the rogue nation.

World Anti-Doping Agency boss Sir Craig Reedie said the IOC must now impose ‘‘the ultimate sanction’’ and added: ‘‘I am confident the IOC and the relevant federations will deal with this as rigorously as possible.’’

Drug Free Sport NZ boss Graeme Steel said he was disappointed but not surprised by the latest revelations which had been heavily signalled in McLaren’s initial report.

He said it proved emphatically that the Russians had ‘‘determined in effect they’ll steal sport, they’ll take it as their own possession and corrupt the whole thing’’.

Steel said his organisation owed it to all Kiwi athletes which it rigorously tests to support calls for conclusive action on the corrupt nation.

‘‘We do our darndest to keep our athletes clean and put them through the ringer, and they don’t deserve to be faced with this. Along with all the evidence from retesting of the Beijing and London Games it demonstrates that the old Soviet bloc remains a centre for doping.’’

New Zealand Olympic Committee president, and former Olympic rower, Mike Stanley said it was ‘‘incredibly worrying that this could happen on such a level and scale’’.

‘‘It would be hard to feel it was a level playing field if Russian athletes were competing while their anti-doping system was noncompliant. Until such time as Russia gets its house in order, Russian athletes shouldn’t be participating.

‘‘That’s an issue for international federations to pick up on because it’s their competitions these athletes will be competing in.’’

Stanley said he was ‘‘shocked’’ by the details he was hearing.

‘‘It reminds us we have to be constantly vigilant and that people aren’t always going to be honest and we have to accept that’s the case in sport as well.’’ Plea for athletes - World