Drug Free Sport NZ slams Russia
The deadline for Russia to turn over samples and other data from its Moscow anti-doping lab passed on Wednesday, leaving the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) to decide whether to reinstate the ban it had lifted in September.
Drug Free Sport New Zealand Chief Executive Nick Paterson was in no doubt Russia had run out of time.
‘‘Once more we are dismayed but not surprised that Russia has missed another deadline, he said.
‘‘Despite Wada jumping through each hoop the Russians put forward, and making a team available to go to the Russian lab, it has been clear that Russia had no intention of delivering on the requirements of the Wada deal of September 2018.
"Sadly there is no other option available to Wada but make Rusada (Russian Anti-Doping Agency) non-compliant once more. The time for negotiation and compromise is long past.
‘‘We hold Kiwi athletes strictly accountable and expect them to comply with the rules.
‘‘We should do the same for countries. Clean sport and clean athletes deserve our support. It is time to stand strong, and all those involved in the fight against doping to stand together.’’
Wada’s decision to declare Rusada compliant came with the requirement that it turn over data and samples by December 31.
But on December 21, Wada announced its team of scientists had left the lab empty-handed because Russian authorities said the equipment they used had to be certified under Russian law.
Wada’s compliance review committee will meet from January 14-15 to consider reinstating the ban, and the Wada executive committee will meet ‘‘as soon as practicable thereafter’’ to consider the recommendation, a Wada news release said.
‘‘I am bitterly disappointed that data extraction from the former Moscow Laboratory has not been completed by the date agreed by Wada’s ExCo in September 2018,’’ Wada president Craig Reedie said.
Reedie and other Wada leaders have been under withering criticism since the decision in September .
After the deadline passed, US Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart said ‘‘no one is surprised this deadline was ignored and it’s time for Wada to stop being played by the Russians and immediately declare them noncompliant for failing yet again to meet the deadline.’’
The UK Anti-Doping athletes’ commission also released a statement Tuesday calling on Wada to reimpose the sanctions immediately.
After Wada was turned away, Russian Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov told local media the Wada team would return. But as the deadline approached and no progress was reported, Rusada chief Yuri Ganus appealed to president Vladimir Putin to help resolve the issue.
‘‘We’re standing on the edge of the abyss, and I’m asking you to protect the present and the future of our clean sports, the current and future generations of athletes,’’ Ganus said in a letter addressed to Putin last week.