Russians escape new WADA doping sanctions

WADA have granted Russia a reprieve from new sanctions but warn that doping data they have provided will still need to be analysed to ensure it is real.

WADA president Craig Reedie

WADA president Craig Reedie says Russian doping data now needs to be analysed. (AAP)

Russia have escaped new sanctions from the World Anti-Doping Agency over a missed deadline but must still meet further conditions to remain compliant, WADA says.

WADA say their executive committee unanimously endorsed a recommendation from its compliance review committee although WADA experts were given full access to retrieving data from Moscow's anti-doping laboratory only after an original December 31 deadline.

But Russia must now also produce retests of suspicious samples from the lab by June 30.

Russia's anti-doping agency RUSADA became non-compliant in November 2015 over wide-ranging doping practices in the country.

WADA controversially declared RUSADA compliant again in September 2018, under conditions that Russia make the lab data available and then also conduct retests of samples deemed suspicious by WADA by June 30.

"Today, the ExCo was pleased to hear of the significant progress that has been made in resolving the Russian doping matter since its decision in September last year to reinstate RUSADA under strict conditions," WADA president Craig Reedie said after Tuesday's meeting.

"Collecting the all-important data is a critical step, and it was not easy to achieve.

"We are not yet at the finishing line and there is a lot more to do but undeniably we are much further along the track than we would have been without the September ExCo decision.

"We are now proceeding to the second phase of that decision, namely authenticating the data retrieved from the former Moscow Laboratory so that ultimately we can use them to catch more athletes who cheated and to exonerate others.

"We will not be deterred from this mission, which we firmly believe is in the best interests of clean sport and of athletes worldwide."

RUSADA chief Yuri Ganus expressed relief, saying: "We lost our way for a while. Now we can continue our work. Congratulations to athletes, managers and everyone supporting our sport."

Reedie said that some executives were unhappy about the missed deadline but all eventually agreed that no new sanctions should be imposed.

They included vice-president Linda Helleland of Norway, who according to the WADA statement "maintained her position from September that RUSADA should have been asserted as non-compliant until the process was complete."

The statement also said that CRC conducted a "very positive" compliance audit of RUSADA in December.


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Source: AAP



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