Russia denies agency access to lab data on doping
World Anti-Doping Agency inspectors are leaving Moscow after Russian authorities stopped them accessing information that they had agreed to hand over.
The agency reinstated the suspended Russian Anti-Doping Agency in September on condition Russian authorities hand over laboratory data, which could help to confirm breaches uncovered during an investigation.
The inquiry uncovered a state-sponsored doping programme that helped Russian athletes to win medals at the Sochi Olympics and other major events.
But on Friday, the agency said its delegation “was unable to complete its mission” because Russia unexpectedly demanded that its equipment be “certified under Russian law”. It said the demand was not raised at earlier talks. The deadline to turn over the data is December 31.
The agency says team leader Toni Pascual will prepare a report on the failed mission. Its compliance review committee, which recommended The Russian agency’s reinstatement, will meet on January 14, when it could recommend that the ban be reimposed.
The world agency kept open the option of returning to the laboratory before the end of the year if Russia resolved the issue.
Russian Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov said the team would return but there was no word on the date and no mention of the issue it raised.
“We’ve tried to come to terms with the Russians on how this was to be done and this is the first time since discussing it that they’ve actually said yes,” the agency’s director general Olivier Niggli said in September, in defence of the decision to reinstate the Russian agency. “We hope they’ll fulfil that promise.”
It was a widely criticised decision and the reaction to Friday’s news was predictable.
“Surprise, surprise. Anyone shocked by this?” asked Travis Tygart, chief executive of the US Anti-Doping Agency. “Let’s hope Wada leadership has finally learnt the lesson and immediately declares them non-compliant.
“Anything else is simply another shiv in the back of clean athletes.”
Russian Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov says investigators will return