IOC postpones Russia's return to international sports due to 2014 Olympics doping scandal - The Guardian
Kyiv • UNN
Russia's return to sports has been postponed due to suspicions of a doping cover-up at the Sochi Olympics. WADA is conducting an investigation into the leadership of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency.
Russia's return to international sports has been delayed following allegations of the anti-doping chief's involvement in covering up doping test results at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. This is reported by The Guardian with reference to its own sources, informs UNN.
Details
It is noted that the concern is related to recently published statements linking the Director General of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), Veronika Loginova, to a government-backed anti-doping program at the Sochi Games.
Without naming names, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry stated that these allegations caused "great concern" and "prompted the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to investigate a potential allegation."
"For me, it is extremely important to do everything possible to ensure that the playing field, when any athletes return to competition, is the cleanest and fairest we can provide,"
It is indicated that the allegations, published by The Insider in April, claimed that Loginova's partner was an FSB officer. According to WADA rules, the government must not interfere in a country's anti-doping program.
In its statement, WADA said it "noted with concern the content of the article published by The Insider, which made certain allegations related to the Executive Director of RUSADA and the anti-doping system in Russia."
"WADA takes these allegations very seriously and immediately informed its independent Intelligence and Investigations Department. ... While WADA will not speculate on what the results of the latest investigation related to Russia might be, if the allegations ... are confirmed, it will cause significant concern for WADA, and further measures will be taken,"
Last month, Loginova dismissed the allegations as "fantasies" and stated that she worked on educational programs during the 2014 Games.
"I had no potential involvement in the activities of the anti-doping laboratory, let alone influence on the collection of doping samples and their subsequent testing," Loginova said.
Recall
On May 7, the International Olympic Committee canceled recommendations regarding the restriction of participation of athletes and teams from Belarus in international competitions, which were introduced after the start of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine.