RUSSIA TRACK TEAM COULD MISS RIO
IOC president hints at Summer Games ban if doping program allegations prove true
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach did not rule out banning Russia’s track and field federation from the Summer Olympics Tuesday, adding that the IOC “would react with its record of proven zerotolerance policy” if allegations of widespread doping are true.
In an op-ed for USA TODAY, Bach focused on allegations that Russian athletes were involved in a state-sponsored doping scheme in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The IOC has asked the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to investigate the claims.
“Should the investigation prove the allegations true it would represent a shocking new dimension in doping with an, until now, unprecedented level of criminality,” Bach wrote. “There can be no doubt ... that the IOC would react with its record of proven zero-tolerance policy not only with regard to individual athletes, but to all their entourage within its reach.”
He said action could include life-long Olympic bans for any implicated person, financial sanctions and the suspension of entire national federations.
Bach’s piece was published on the same day the IOC announced 31 athletes from the 2008 Beijing Games were flagged for doping when 454 samples were retested. The names were not released.
Samples from the 2012 London Olympics also are being retested, and the IOC is expected to soon announce the findings from 250 samples that were analyzed.
“This decisive action will most likely stop some dozens of doped athletes participating in the Rio Olympic Games,” Bach wrote, referring to retesting samples from the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
Many of the recent allegations center around Russia. Its Federal Security Service allegedly was involved in manipulating samples during the 2014 Sochi Olympics and athletes were encouraged to use performance-enhancing drugs, according to reports.
An investigation by WADA’s independent commission released in November found that Russia’s track and field federation led a state-sponsored doping effort. The report resulted in the International Association of Athletics Federations suspending Russia’s track and field team.
The Department of Justice also is investigating Russia’s alleged doping efforts, The New York
Times reported Tuesday.