The story appears on

Page A16

September 19, 2018

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

Home » Sports » Athletics

French oppose WADA’s plan to reinstate Russia

THE president of the French anti-doping agency (AFLD) yesterday joined the chorus questioning the World Anti-Doping Agency’s proposal to reinstate the Russian agency (RUSADA) ahead of a WADA meeting later this week.

A proposal by a WADA internal committee to lift the ban on RUSADA, which would open the way for full restatement of Russian athletes, will be on the agenda of the agency’s executive committee in the Seychelles starting tomorrow.

“This surprises us,” said AFLD president Dominique Laurent. “We must ensure the credibility of the global fight against doping.”

Travis Tygart, the head of the US Anti-Doping Agency said Monday that WADA was “in the last chance saloon.”

RUSADA was suspended in November 2015. The following year a WADA report accused Russian authorities of running an elaborate doping programme.

The Russians still have to meet two conditions: Accept the McLaren findings and grant access to Moscow’s anti-doping laboratory. The Berlin-based Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations (INADO) accused WADA of seeking to fast-track Russia’s reinstatement.

“Any reasonable person would conclude that Russia has not yet fulfilled its obligations to the global sporting community,” INADO said. “WADA must make its decisions based on consistent application of principles and not out of expedience pandering to the will of a powerful nation. The sporting community is eager to see Russia return as an equal participant but not at any cost.”

“WADA is considering reinstating RUSADA today, but we wonder how the two requirements have been met,” she said. “We have no proof. We cannot have rules at two speeds, tough for France but laxer for other big countries.”

WADA has released recent exchanges which include a Russian suggestion to hand over the electronic data bank of the Moscow testing lab.

“It’s a joke,” said Tygart. “And it’s another slap in the face to clean athletes around the world.”




 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend