WADA to discuss Russia on January 22

PARIS: WADA officials will discuss recommendations on the compliance of the Russian antidoping agency ( RUSADA) on Januar y 22, the World Anti- doping Agency announced Saturday ( Sunday in Manila).

“WADA ExCo ( executive committee) to discuss Compliance Review Committee recommendation regarding RUSADA compliance status on 22 Jan via conference call,” WADA tweeted.

“ExCo members requested that time to review appropriately the CRC recommendation ( which will be provided to them at the latest on 17 Jan) and to consult with their stakeholders. WADA will publicly communicate the ExCo decision on 22 Jan following the conference call.”

RUSADA was initially suspended by WADA in 2016 after an independent report by Professor Richard McLaren found that more than 1,000 athletes across more than 30 sports were aided by state- sponsored doping.

WADA was strongly criticized over its decision to lift Russia’s suspension in September before obtaining access to the anti- doping laboratory in Moscow.

Moscow subsequently missed the December 31 deadline to give WADA full access to the lab data vital to implicate or clear athletes in doping cases.

A second team of WADA experts, however, arrived in Russia Wednesday to complete the promised extraction of data, including results of doping tests.