MOSCOW: Russia’s Athletic Federation will not act on allegations of widespread doping among its sports stars before the world athletics championships in Beijing later this month, the acting head of the body, Vadim Zelichenok, said late on Monday.
Russia accounted for majority of abnormal readings in an investigation by Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper and German broadcaster ARD/WDR, which got access to thousands of blood test results from 2001-2012.
“All drug testing conducted by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is kept there. This means they (journalists) managed to get their hands on test results illegally and this secret material was published by the press,” Zelichenok said, dismissing the allegations.
“The IAAF is very worried and will conduct an investigation into this and could also open legal proceedings,” he said in a telephone interview.
“We will not take any action before the World Championships, which start in Beijing on August 22. We physically won’t be able to do anything before then. The reputation of the IAAF is at stake and we are a member of this organization. We will see what they do and it is possible we could go down the same route.”
Zelichenok also echoed comments at the weekend by Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko who dismissed the publication as power struggle within the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) before it elects a new head.
According to the two media outlets, the results of 12,000 blood tests provided by more than 5,000 athletes showed more than 800 athletes had given samples that were “highly suggestive” of doping, or abnormal.
Of those, 415 were Russian athletes and the publication puts more pressure on Russian sports after a corruption scandal at world soccer governing body FIFA cast a cloud over the country’s right to host the 2018 World Cup.
Speaking to the Moskovsky Komsomolets daily on Monday, a former Russian anti-doping official said the publication was an attempt to tarnish Russia’s “bright national image” ahead of the 2018 soccer championship.
“One thing is clear. The Germans have developed a new type of sport - hunting Russian sportsmen. A safari, the hell with them,” Nikolay Durmanov, the former head of Russia’s anti-doping committee, was quoted as saying. Durmanov said Russia should consider filing a lawsuit against the journalists, a criticism echoed by the managing director of Russia’s anti-doping watchdog RUSADA, Nikita Kamaev.
“German journalists are not interested in seeking the truth and fighting doping. They have more interest equally in self-promotion and starting a scandal,” he said.
Kamaev also said RUSADA is working with WADA in investigating doping allegations made in another ARD documentary last year. He said that investigation would be completed by the end of 2015.
The 2014 documentary features what it says is undercover video of Russian athletes and coaches admitting to covering up positive tests and alleges corruption and systematic doping culture among Russian athletes and high-ranking officials.
Some of the athletes named in the latest film were competing in the city of Cheboksary on the Volga River on Monday and yesterday, where they are seeking to be selected for Russia’s national team for Beijing.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the latest allegations, saying it was a matter for the sports minister rather than President Vladimir Putin.
That approach contrasts with strong comments by the Kremlin over the FIFA scandal and in defense of Russia’s right to host the 2018 World Cup.
Putin even said FIFA boss Sepp Blatter, who announced he would step down over the corruption scandal, deserved a Nobel Prize for his stewardship of soccer’s top body.
Doping scandal comes as ‘zero’ surprise to Willis
WELLINGTON:Revelations that hundreds of endurance runners returned suspect samples in anti-doping tests over an 11-year period came as “zero” surprise to Olympic 1,500 metres silver medallist Nick Willis.
The New Zealander finished third at the 2008 Beijing Games but was eventually promoted to second after Bahraini Rashid Ramzi had his gold medal stripped a year later for failing a doping test.
Over 100 medals awarded at top events including Olympics and world championships have been cast in doubt by reports that more than 800 athletes had recorded suspect blood test results between 2001 and 2012.
“On a shock scale of zero to 10 it’s a zero -- the only surprise is that the information actually got leaked,” Willis said in quotes published by the New Zealand Herald yesterday.
“It is always very pleasing when that sort of information comes to light, hoping there is a slither of a chance that some action might take place or at least the masses realise what is going on in our sport. Sweeping it under the rug is never a solution.”
Willis declined to point fingers at any of his rivals, past or present, but said it was “obvious” who the dopers were when athletes mixed together, with some avoiding all talk about illegal drug use ahead of races.
Willis said the data in the reports had actually painted a rosier picture of the extent of doping than he had imagined.
“I’ve often wondered if there were even two clean people in a final, let alone on the medal stand,” he said.
“The truth is I don’t watch half the races when I think the majority of the field is not clean. That is not entertaining to me. We just leave the stadium -- and I’m one of the biggest supporters of the sport.”
Willis added that now could be the time to try to root out doping as world athletics’ governing body, the IAAF, is set to revamp its leadership. AGENCIES
