IAAF and Russian Athletics Anti-Doping Corruption Review

[2sk8]

Short and sweet is that WADA are recommending that Russia be suspended from IAAF. They also found that the Russian government is involved in manipulating doping tests for Russian athletes, including at the Sochi Olympics.



Link to the full report

...especially since the report specifically talks about testing in the Moscow lab DURING the Sochi Olympics being improperly influenced by the presence of FSB.

 

[clairecloutier]

Summary articles from The Guardian and The New York Times:

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/nov/09/wada-iaaf-russia-dick-pound-banned
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/10/s...onsored-doping-program-report-finds.html?_r=0

Very serious stuff, but there appears to be no link to skating as yet. The report/recommendations are focused on track & field (athletics). Although they note there is no reason to believe that other sports have not been affected.

 

[eli60056]

But where does it say anything about Adelina's OGM being bought? If I remember correctly, the original title of this thread said her medal was bought.

 

[GarrAargHrumph]

They're recommending that Russian athletics (meaning track and field) be suspended from competition, including the next Olympics. They also say that not everything has been revealed yet, as there is a criminal investigation now ongoing.

Right now the focus is on Russia, doping, and track and field. They say that does not mean the issue does not exist in other sports, or with other countries, but that their immediate focus was on Russia and track and field.

They say that this issue extends up to the Russian government. Russian law enforcement agencies were in the Moscow lab mentioned, and were involved with these activities. They say that this entire program of doping and etc. was state sponsored.

The World Anti-Doping Foundation will meet next week in Colorado Springs, which is why they released this report now.

 

[Eladola]

Can someone move this thread somewhere else?
I'm about to explode

 

[Sylvia]

ETA: These links below were posted by me in Buzz's original thread that was started in Other Sports today (now merged with the thread moved from GSD):

WADA's 300+ page report is online: https://wada-main-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/resources/files/wada_independent_commission_report_1_en.pdf

Live stream of ongoing press conference and live blog: http://www.theguardian.com/sport/li...wada-publishes-report-into-doping-claims-live

Here are some of the main findings today:

• Russia should be banned from athletics competition
• Pound described what has happened as “state-supported doping”
• Vitaly Mutko, the Russian sports minister, issued direct orders to “manipulate particular samples,” according to the commission.
• Wada says London 2012 were “sabotaged” by the “widespread inaction” against Russian athletes with suspicious doping profiles
• Sebastian Coe has taken the urgent step of seeking approval to consider sanctions against the ARAF
• Wada recommend that Moscow’s anti-doping lab should lose its accreditation. It accused the lab of the “intentional destruction” of 1417 samples

 

[Sylvia]

[Never mind - the GSD thread from yesterday now has been merged into Buzz's thread, started today with post #89.]

 

[GarrAargHrumph]

Yes, this is about athletics, which in the US, means track and field. It's not about all sports.

 

[Coquelicot14]

But this is just a report by a specific group, not a the final result. We will know how that develops eventually. At this point it is an allogation.
Again, no figure skating mentioned directly, nothing even remotely having to do with any medals being bought. So that was all BS made up by a specific poster with an agenda.

I think this thread is now off topic and I second the motion to move this thread To Trash Can.

 

[Coquelicot14]

double post

 

[allezfred]

Since there seems to be no mention of skating, I am now going to move this thread to Other Sports.

 

[MsZem]

Short and sweet is that WADA are recommending that Russia be suspended from IAAF. They also found that the Russian government is involved in manipulating doping tests for Russian athletes, including at the Sochi Olympics.

Wow. I couldn't figure out how long the proposed ban is - the WaPo article says that they would have to clean up their act first, and i'm not sure how that would be determined. Does anyone have any idea?

 

[Sylvia]

IAAF's statement: http://www.iaaf.org/news/press-release/statement-wada-independent-commission-report

In response to WADA's Independent Commission report issued today, the IAAF President, Sebastian Coe, has taken the urgent step of seeking approval from his fellow IAAF Council Members to consider sanctions against the Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF). These sanctions could include provisional and full suspension and the removal of future IAAF events. ...

About the IAAF Council and list of current members: http://www.iaaf.org/about-iaaf/structure/council

 

[MsZem]

But where does it say anything about Adelina's OGM being bought? If I remember correctly, the original title of this thread said her medal was bought.

More like jokingly raised the question.

And has been since noted, all medals cost money (to produce)

 

[GarrAargHrumph]

Wow. I couldn't figure out how long the proposed ban is - the WaPo article says that they would have to clean up their act first, and i'm not sure how that would be determined. Does anyone have any idea?

The NY Times article said that in the press conference, they mentioned that they are currently proposing that Russia not be allowed to compete at the Rio Olympics, unless they can prove that they've cleaned up their system before then. They said that their goal is not to keep Russian athletes out of the Olys, but to get the system repaired. So it sounds like there perhaps isn't a firm length of time to the ban; at least not one that they mentioned. And they didn't say what proof they'd need.

 

[marbri]

So this investigation was conducted based on the following documentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu9B-ty9JCY

So it was always specific to Athletics (Track and Field) and the Russian Federation for that sport.

I had the impression, and had hoped, it was broader. A shame because now will follow the obvious defense that it's political against Russia and pit east against west when this problem is so much broader. I understand why this particular investigation took place but with any luck may it inspire some other journalists to probe deeper into other sports and nations.

 

[Sylvia]

WADA serious about getting Kenya banned over doping inaction (Nov. 6): http://www.reuters.com/article/2015...ing-idUSKCN0SV1OV20151106#Ac4XV2HYO3JiP7lQ.97

Excerpt from today's Guardian article (link posted earlier):

The investigation was prompted when the German television station ARD implicated officials in Russia’s athletics federation, anti-doping agency (Rusada) and the Wada-accredited laboratory in Moscow in acts of bribery to hush up positive doping tests, falsify tests and supply banned drugs.

Pound drew Kenya into the orbit of suspicion when he said: “It seems pretty clear from both the ARD programme and subsequent developments that Kenya has a real problem. It has been very slow to acknowledge there is a problem,” he said. “There is apparently some investigation going on as we speak. If they don’t do a good job then someone else will do a job for them.”

ETA:

Timeline of a scandal: how athletics was rocked by corruption claims: http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/nov/09/timeline-russia-athletics-iaaf-corruption-doping-claims

IAAF may consider Russian athletics federation's suspension on Nov 26-27: http://tass.ru/en/sport/835003

http://tass.ru/en/sport/834914

GENEVA, November 9. /TASS/. The final text of the report of the Independent Commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) into allegations of doping abuse among the Russian athletes will be published by the end of the year, Richard Pound, the head of the commission, told a news conference on Monday.
...
The Russian Anti-Doping agency (RUSADA) chief said on Monday that Russian athletes can be banned from the competitions held by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) only by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

"Such decisions can be taken only by the IOC," Nikita Kamaev told the Match TV channel. "Similar cases already took place but they are very rare."

 

[WildRose]

So let me get this straight. The Russia Govt. engaged in so much drugging, bribery & blackmail that it seriously affected the outcome of the London Summer Olympics, and yet, we are supposed to believe they didn't find a way to cheat at a winter Olympics, in their own country, just 2 years later? Anybody who believes that is dreaming in technicolour. I don't know which athletes won their medals fairly and which ones didn't, and I don't know if we will ever find out, but to believe that there was no illegal activity going on by the host nation under the circumstances, is incredibly naive.

 

[poths]

So this investigation was conducted based on the following documentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu9B-ty9JCY

So it was always specific to Athletics (Track and Field) and the Russian Federation for that sport.

I had the impression, and had hoped, it was broader. A shame because now will follow the obvious defense that it's political against Russia and pit east against west when this problem is so much broader. I understand why this particular investigation took place but with any luck may it inspire some other journalists to probe deeper into other sports and nations.

Hi Marbri,
It definitely begins with T&F but it's repercussions are far reaching; including statements such as - Russian state security officers were masquerading as engineers in the Sochi WADA accredited lab. This obviously opens up the entire Winter Olympics to scrutiny. Whilst the true narrative will inevitably take time to unravel, there seems to be a genuine effort to weed out the corruption. My issue thus far is the rhetoric that this begins and ends with Russia and that cheating is restricted to PEDs. Not the case. However, I have (some) faith that story will unfold further towards the truth

I have read a lot of interesting comments from people I trust on Twitter, but I won't enlighten the FSU audience given that some posters have a penchant for "Facts" I will say however, that "apparently" there are emails (please GOD let there be emails )
Needless to say - we may move this back to the Great Skate Debate in the future. I apologise to the mods for the proverbial (and literal?) headache that I may have caused

 

[sweetsparky]

Needless to say - we may move this back to the Great Skate Debate in the future. I apologise to the mods for the proverbial (and literal?) headache that I may have caused

Is this what you will ask Santa for Christmas? Well, and the emails

I started reading the report

 

[Coco]

Dick Pound has his own history so I hope that many other extremely competent and reputable investigators are involved.

And I hope that Russia is in Rio because I think it would be bad if they were isolated from the rest of the worldbin that manner.

And none of these allegations surprise me at all. It's disgusting. No wonder Komova accused her competitors of doping. She probably thinks that is what it takes to win.

 

[Buzz]

According to Reuters this scandal is actually worse than the FIFA corruption scandal!

In one sense at least, the scandal could prove more compromising than the FIFA affair. There has never been any suggestion that FIFA corruption has affected results on the pitch, at the World Cup, for example.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015...ion-idUSKCN0SY1NG20151109#5cHWt1HT1cKslSvg.97

 

[poths]

Dick Pound has his own history so I hope that many other extremely competent and reputable investigators are involved.
.

Interpol are on the cusp of checking in!

 

[Erin]

Dick Pound has his own history so I hope that many other extremely competent and reputable investigators are involved.

I hear this a lot about Pound. I know he likes to run his mouth, but that does not necessarily mean he is not a competent and reputable investigator - are there cases out there where there have actually been issues with Pound's investigation skills?

I think it's also worth noting that one of Pound's most controversial occasions of running his mouth was his claims about Lance Armstrong and as it turns out, history proved Pound right in that case.

 

[Sylvia]

Latest from the Associated Press on the IAAF investigation (all times local): http://bigstory.ap.org/article/8e4a...da-commission-says-iaaf-should-suspend-russia

4:28 p.m. - The integrity of results at the 2014 Sochi Olympics could be put in doubt by the WADA inquiry.

WADA panel chairman Dick Pound says "I don't think we can be confident here was no manipulation" of doping tests at the Winter Games.

Pound's report aired concerns from staff at the Moscow laboratory that they were infiltrated while working in Sochi by Russian secret service agents.

The Moscow lab was revealed to be part of a conspiracy to conceal widespread doping and to report to the FSB intelligence agency.

Despite Pound's concerns about dirty athletes succeeding at Sochi, he says "we don't have any hard evidence that there was."

4 p.m. - The next step in the Russian doping scandal comes next week when the World Anti-Doping Agency's executive committee and foundation board meet in Colorado Springs.

Dick Pound, who led the investigation into widespread doping in track, said it was important to get the report out this week so the WADA boards can act on it next week.

Among the recommendations: Lifetime suspensions for five Russian athletes, the stripping of accreditation of the Russian anti-doping lab and suspension of the Russian athletics federation.

3:50 p.m. - Interpol will coordinate an investigation into widespread doping in track and field.

The international police agency, based in Lyon, France, said the investigation involving sports officials and athletes suspected of doping cover-ups is led by France.

French prosecutors are already investigating former IAAF President Lamine Diack, who was put under criminal investigation last week on suspicion of corruption and money laundering amid allegations linking his sons to extorting money from athletes who tested positive for doping.

Interpol, whose assistance has been requested by the World Anti-Doping Agency panel investigating the doping allegations, said in a statement that French police also "raided premises belonging to individuals and companies" last week.

 

[barbk]

Has there ever been a performance-enhancing drug that has shown to be effective for figure skating? I can't argue that a fix hasn't been in at some competitions...the toe-tapping was a pretty good indicator of that...but that seems rather different to me than doping.

My guess is that figure skating is probably one of the cleaner sports around from a doping perspective. I'm not even sure why they keep weightlifting and cycling in the Olympics given the perpetual doping in those sports.

 

[Braulio]

I hope they ban the russians from Rio (in Athletics) enough is enough and they need to start somewhere/sometime

 

[ks1227]

In the U.S., PBS News Hour had a story on this tonight that featured an interview with Christine Brennan. Of all U.S. journalists, I would expect Brennan to seize on any opportunity to talk about figure skating if there was any chance of a connection to scandal. But as far as I heard, she never mentioned figure skating ... even though she DID bring up Sochi Olympics toward the end of the interview. The focus was almost entirely on track and field. I think the attempt to link this scandal to figure skating in any way is a huge overreach.

 

[VGThuy]

When was the last time Brennan spoke about figure skating? It seems like she's moved on from the sport.

 

[Jayar]

I'm oversimplifying this, but I have to say that the whole thing makes me sad. For the athletes, for the fans, for sport.