WADA Independent Maclaren report state-sponsored doping by Russia 2014 Winter Olympics jeopardizes RIO 2016

An independent report into claims of state-sponsored doping by Russia at the 2014 Winter Olympics could put the country's place at the 2016 Summer Games in doubt.
[full report below]

Any adverse revelations could increase pressure on Russia to be banned from the Rio Olympics entirely. the report contains shock revelations

• A failsafe system, ordered and controlled by the state, operated from the Moscow laboratory, in order to protect Russian athletes by replacing positive samples with falsified negative results

• Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of the Moscow laboratory [above], used a variant of the system ahead of the 2012 Olympics in London

• A new system, in operation at the laboratory in Sochi, allowed for clandestine sample-switching to hide positive samples. McLaren found evidence of tampering on sample bottles tested

• The Ministry of Sport ‘directed, controlled and oversaw’ both methods of manipulating athletes’ urine samples, and were assisted by the FSB (the Russian federal security service), CSP (Centre of Sports Preparation in Russia), and Rusada

Its track and field athletes are already barred from the Games.this could 

One very interesting line from the report that doesn’t directly relate to the Olympics: that McLaren is aware of “at least one foreign footballer playing in the Russian League had that benefit of a ‘save’ order (a positive sample replaced by a false negative in the Moscow lab). That decision was made by Mutko, and not Nagornykh. This, and the table below, indicate that the state-sponsored doping referenced in the report may extend beyond the Olympics.
“WADA is grateful to Richard McLaren, his team, and other contributors that, together, helped provide us with a fact-based path forward today as it relates to allegations and other information provided by Dr. Rodchenkov,” said Sir Craig Reedie, President, WADA.  “Shamefully, the McLaren Report corroborates the allegations, exposing a modus operandi of serious manipulation of the doping control process in the satellite laboratory set up in Sochi for the 2014 Games; and, the Moscow laboratory since 2011 and after the Sochi Games,” Reedie continued. “Not only does the evidence implicate the Russian Ministry of Sport in running a doping system that’s sole aim was to subvert the doping control process, it also states that there was active participation and assistance of the Federal Security Service and the Center of Sports Preparation of National Teams of Russia.” he said.

“The Report also indicates the involvement of the Russian National Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA); and, shows that some of the key people involved, in particular the deputy sports minister, were members of the Russian Olympic Committee. Furthermore, the Investigation reveals that State oversight and directed control of the Moscow laboratory in processing and covering up urine samples of Russian athletes was applied to all sport disciplines whose urine samples were being analyzed by the Moscow laboratory.” said Reedie.

“The Report corroborates evidence provided by Dr. Rodchenkov, which reveals to the world of sport an extent of deliberate abuse of power and process in Russia that is totally unacceptable for all athletes, the broader sports community and the nations against which they compete,” said Reedie.“It reveals that the Russian Ministry of Sport manipulated the doping control process of the 2014 Sochi Games; the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow; the 2013 World University Games in Kazan; and, put measures in place to circumvent anti-doping processes before the 2012 London Games,” he continued.“As the international Agency -- responsible for leading the collaborative, global, clean sport movement -- WADA is calling on the Sports Movement to impose the strongest possible measures to protect clean sport for Rio 2016 and beyond.” 

WADA’s Executive Committee strongly regrets that there was public speculation made by certain NADOs as to the Investigation’s outcome, in the absence of the facts, in the days leading up to the Report’s publication. Today, the McLaren Report corroborates the following evidence; on which basis, WADA’s Executive Committee has come to the following conclusions.  The Executive Committee strongly requests the Sports Movement to seriously consider the facts and the following sanctions:

      1. Given that the Russian Ministry of Sport orchestrated systematic cheating of Russian athletes to subvert the doping                   control process; and that, the evidence shows such subversion in 30 sports, including 20 Olympic summer sports and               Paralympic sports, the presumption of innocence of athletes in these sports, and in all Russian sports, is seriously called           into question.

Accordingly, WADA recommends to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to consider, under their respective Charters, to decline entries, for Rio 2016, of all athletes submitted by the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and the Russian Paralympic Committee. Furthermore, any exceptional entry of a Russian athlete should be considered by the IOC and IPC for participation under a neutral flag and in accordance with very strict criteria.

WADA also recommends that Russian Government officials be denied access to international competitions, including Rio 2016.

       2. The Investigation determined that a high number of Olympic sports, non-Olympic sports and Paralympic sports                             benefited from the system orchestrated by the Russian Ministry of Sport. The presumption of innocence from Russian               athletes in these sports is therefore seriously called into question.

Accordingly, WADA recommends to International Federations (IFs) to consider their responsibilities under the World Anti-Doping Code as far as their Russian National Federations are concerned. (It is noted that a number of IFs have already taken steps under their rules in this regard.)

WADA’s Executive Committee urges the Russian Government to ensure that all those involved in this system be dealt with appropriately forthwith. 

The Executive Committee also notes with great disappointment that, today’s Report reveals that, despite all public undertakings that were claimed by the Russian Government, they were so confident in the inability of outsiders to detect what was going on, that they operated in the same manner during the time that WADA’s 2015 Independent Commission (IC)  was carrying out its investigation. This conduct shows a total disregard for the international community; and, reinforces the urgent need for true and demonstrable commitment by the Russian authorities for a change of culture.

Of note, following the release of the IC’s first Report on 8 November 2015, which exposed widespread doping in Russian Athletics, WADA immediately suspended the Moscow laboratory. The re-accreditation process will now be stopped.

“Since WADA’s Independent Commission report, senior Russian politicians have started to publicly acknowledge the existence of longstanding doping practices in Russia; and, have conceded that a significant culture change is required,” said Olivier Niggli, Director General.  “The McLaren Report makes it ever more clear that such culture change needs to be cascaded from the very top in order to deliver the necessary reform that clean sport needs,” said Niggli.

“In the face of such evidence of state sponsored subversion of anti-doping processes, WADA insists upon imposition of the most serious consequences to protect clean athletes from the scourge of doping in sport,” said Reedie.  

Given that there may be exceptions to the collective sanctions enumerated above, WADA is working to establish non-binding guidelines that will help the IOC, the IPC and IFs in their decision-making process.  These guidelines will be made available shortly after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) issues its decision on 21 July with respect to the dispute between the ROC and the IAAF.

“RUSADA remains non-compliant despite significant effort by WADA, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), independent experts and others,” said Niggli. “Transforming Russia’s anti-doping system and culture, to the point where it can be considered robust and trustworthy, will take more time and effort,” Niggli continued.  “The McLaren Report confirms that, at a minimum, RUSADA’s return to compliance cannot be considered until all persons from the Russian Ministry of Sport and other Government Departments and Agencies that are implicated by the Report, including RUSADA, are dismissed from their roles,” Reedie added to Niggli’s remarks.

It should be noted that WADA is committed, along with UKAD and others, to work with RUSADA in their return to compliance and to ensure a more independent anti-doping program that is autonomous from government. This would be of great benefits to those Russian athletes who believe in clean sport.

Another notable finding within the Report is the role that one of FIFA’s Executive Committee members, Russian Sport Minister Vitaly Mutko, played within the system. Accordingly, WADA urges the FIFA Ethics Committee to look into the allegations concerning football and the role played by this member.

McLaren explained in his Report that, given the compressed timeline of 57 days, he did not have time to explore the third element from the Investigation’s Terms of Reference, which was ‘to identify any athlete that might have benefited from such manipulation to conceal positive doping tests’. WADA confirms that they would like Professor McLaren and his team to complete their mandate, provided the Agency can secure the funding that would be required.

Over the coming days and weeks, WADA will continue to consider the findings of the Report, in collaboration with its stakeholders, to determine what further action is required. The Report will also be submitted to the Agency’s Independent Compliance Review Committee.

It is clear from the McLaren Report that serious abuses of the globally accepted anti-doping system have occurred. WADA is committed to reviewing the global system and will begin this process through a multi-stakeholder Think Tank that it will hold in September.

ABOUT WADA

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is the international independent organization created in 1999 to promote, coordinate and monitor the fight against doping in sport in all its forms. The Agency is composed and funded equally by the sports movement and governments of the world. Its key activities include scientific research, education, development of anti-doping capacities and monitoring of the World Anti-Doping Code – the first document harmonizing regulations regarding anti-doping in all sports and all countries.


“The McLaren Report has concluded, beyond a reasonable doubt, a mind-blowing level of corruption within both Russian sport and government that goes right to the field of play… and most importantly, our hearts go out to athletes from all over the world who were robbed of their Olympic dreams. Looking forward, we must come together as an international community – comprised of those who truly believe in the spirit of Olympism – to ensure this unprecedented level of criminality never again threatens the sports we cherish.”

U.S. Anti-Doping Agency

Statement from USADrug A CEO Travis T. Tygart Regarding the McLaren Report

USADA is responsible for the testing and results management process for athletes in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement. USADA is equally dedicated to preserving the integrity of sport through research initiatives and educational programs.

 Hot on the heels of another damning report on Russian doping, the sporting superpower will discover on Friday whether its ban from athletics will be lifted, allowing a return to competition in time to take part in the Rio Olympics.

The vote, by the Council of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in Vienna, should in theory be decisive but the International Olympic Committee (IOC), concerned about innocent athletes being punished, has said it might yet overrule when it meets the following week.

"No one wants to see even one innocent athlete suffer in this, but such blatant disregard for the rules of our sport and the concept of fair play should receive a strong message that it will not be tolerated," British world marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe told Reuters on Thursday.

Russia was suspended from all track and field by the (IAAF) in November after an independent report from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) revealed widespread state-sponsored doping.

A task force has been studying how much reform Russia has made, but any thoughts that the country may have had about winning over doubters were probably dashed on Wednesday when WADA released another report containing extraordinary accounts of the lengths some athletes have gone to avoid being tested.

It said that Russian athletes have continued to fail drug tests in large numbers and obstruct doping control officers in the months when they are supposed to be showing there has been a change of culture in their approach to the problem.


"Whether or not the IOC choose to punish and investigate further (since clearly this was never limited to track and field but rather all Russian sport) I feel the IAAF has to be strong on this," Radcliffe said in an email after the WADA report.

"The message needs to get out loud and clear - We will not tolerate cheats in our sport and will take strong action to protect the rights of the clean athletes to compete on a fair and level playing field."

Canada's athletics federation also urged a tough stand, saying on  that Russian track and field athletes should not be allowed to compete at Rio.

"Athletics Canada feels strongly there is little evidence of a reversal in a systematic and deep rooted doping culture in Russian Athletics, and therefore there is no justification to grant re-inclusion," chief executive Rob Guy said in an open letter to IAAF president Sebastian Coe.

UNFAIRLY VICTIMIZED

Russia, though, says it is being unfairly victimized, while other countries that have fallen foul of the WADA code, including distance running specialists Kenya and Ethiopia, are free to compete.

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said on Wednesday his country could take legal action if its athletics federation is not reinstated, Interfax news agency reported.

How the IAAF and IOC act most likely could be a defining moment in the fight against doping, long-term observers have said.

"My gut feeling is that some of the folks in the IOC bubble have no sense of the collective outrage if it makes the wrong decision," Dick Pound, a long-standing IOC member and co-author of the report that led to Russia's ban, told Reuters.

"It is not like we are talking about Sierra Leone here."

The IOC has called an Olympic Summit for June 21 in Lausanne to decide on Russia's participation, when other issues, such as claims of a complex system to beat the anti-doping system at the Sochi Winter Olympics, will also be on the table.

"I cannot speculate," IOC president Thomas Bach said this month when asked if his organization would be prepared to overrule the IAAF.

"This meeting on the 21st will be to protect the clean athletes and ensure a level playing field for all the athletes participating in Rio."

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