Drugs get a green light from world doping watchdog
Raise your hand if you agree: It’s time for world sports governing bodies and the International Olympic Committee to lift the ban on performance-enhancing drugs.
Ridiculous, yes? Out of the question? The death of the amateur sports movement?
We would agree. And yet this week the organization charged with keeping sports clean and drug-free basically rewarded Russia for not only allowing, but encouraging its athletes to use drugs.
What the World Anti-Doping Agency did was a bit more nuanced than that, but not much. WADA’s executive decided to reinstate Russia’s drug-testing program after a nearly three-year suspension over its widespread, state-sponsored doping plan.
That means that RUSADA, Russia’s doping watchdog, can once again police that country’s amateur athletes, and Russia can once again take part in world events, including the Olympics.
Russia must have seriously cleaned up its act for this to happen, right? Actually, no. When it decided to suspend RUSADA, after a damning investigation showed beyond all doubt the doping conspiracy was real and extensive, WADA set out two key conditions that would need to be met before reinstatement: that Russia accept a report that concluded the state was involved in doping and coverups, and that the state allow access to its discredited Moscow laboratory where evidence is stored.
Neither one of those conditions has been met. Regardless, WADA now says Russia seems sincere about reform. And that, apparently, is enough.
What is really motivating WADA? Could it be the International Olympic Committee, which wants Russia back for the money and ratings it brings? Or perhaps Russia itself, which has very deep pockets and is very persuasive?
Regardless of the motivation, try to imagine the message this sends to athletes and organizations that actually respect doping rules. Happily, many of them live and toil in Canada.
AthletesCAN, the association representing Canada’s national team athletes, said: “This suggests arbitrary decision-making and subjective rule-making ... We would like to highlight that athletes are not afforded that same opportunity to compromise or negotiate when sanctioned under the WADA code, which presents an inherent double standard.”
Olympian Beckie Scott said: “I’m profoundly disappointed. I feel this was an opportunity for WADA and they have dealt a devastating blow to clean sport. I’m quite dismayed.” Scott has since quit WADA’s compliance review committee in protest. Good for her.
Four-time Olympian Denny Morrison: “It’s a poor decision by WADA that sends a disastrous message to the sporting world: Cheat and you’ll get away with it. In Canada, we have to keep doing what’s right and be an example for other nations.”
It’s gratifying that so many Canadians are angry, upset and vocal about this decision. Will their voices matter? Unlikely. Because this isn’t about sports or athletics. It’s about money. Which brings us back to our first point.
If you’re going to essentially reward corruption in sport, why not be upfront about it and at least level the playing field?
It’s gratifying that so many Canadians are angry, upset and vocal about this decision. Will their voices matter? Unlikely. Because this isn’t about sports or athletics. It’s about money.