409 cases against Russians from the database of WADA informant Rodchenkov were closed without sanctions
More than 400 cases of violation of anti-doping rules by Russian athletes, which were initiated on the basis of data from the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory (LIMS), were closed without guilty verdicts. Information about this was received by the German television channel ARD.
Doping cases against Russians closed without sanctions
According to a confidential World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report compiled in November 2023, there were 834 possible violations. At the same time, 409 cases were closed without any sanctions. It is noted that the investigation is ongoing in 145 cases. In another 280 cases, decisions on punishment were made.
Russian sport is under WADA sanctions
Photo: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash
WADA imposed sanctions on Russian sports in December 2019. Russia was suspended from major tournaments for four years and also deprived of the right to host them. The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) was also stripped of its compliance status.
At the end of 2020, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduced the WADA sanctions to two years, during which athletes were banned from competing under the Russian flag at the Olympic Games, World Championships and other major international competitions. Despite the CAS decision, at the end of 2023 WADA continued to assert that RUSADA was not in compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code. According to WADA head Witold Banka, the code is not fully integrated into Russian laws.
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Rodchenkov is a WADA informant
The punishment against Russian sports followed the revelation of fraud with LIMS data. The laboratory contains the results of doping testing of athletes for the period from 2012 to 2015. A copy of the database was given to WADA in 2017 by an informant and former head of the laboratory, Grigory Rodchenkov, against whom several criminal cases were filed in Russia under the article “Abuse of Power.”
Rodchenkov fled to the United States in 2015, where he requested political asylum. Rodchenkov’s testimony served as the basis for Richard McLaren’s report, which spoke about the existence of a state system of doping support in Russia. As a result of the investigation, a number of Russian athletes faced disqualification, cancellation of results and deprivation of awards.
It’s better to remember the Olympics and our great achievements than to comment on the statements of the idiot Rodchenkov
Later, Rodchenkov repeatedly criticized Russian sports. In particular, he called for tough sanctions against Russian athletes. In his opinion, the Russian flag and anthem should be banned from the Olympic Games forever. The WADA informant expressed the opinion that in order to confirm its authority, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) should disqualify Russian athletes for at least ten years.
WADA prevents Russian athletes from participating in the Paris Olympics
On December 8, 2023, the IOC announced the admission of Russians and Belarusians to the 2024 Olympics. They will be able to take part in the tournament as individual neutral athletes. The decision caused controversy among anti-doping organizations. In particular, WADA demanded the introduction of new biological passports for Russian athletes.
The group of so-called neutral athletes will be very small if they take part in the Olympic Games in Paris at all, based on the fact that the Russians are boycotting our conditions
The US Anti-Doping Agency called the admission of the Russians “a slap in the face to clean athletes.” According to the Americans, Russians passed much fewer doping tests than their competitors during the pre-Olympic cycle. So far, six Russians have qualified for the 2024 Olympics, however, they remain under WADA verification.
Source: Lenta
Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
