by Larry Eder
RunBlogRun is posting the complete statement from WADA on the independent report delivered this morning by Dick Pound from Geneva, Switzerland at 3 pm Central European time.
I was on the media conference for the Independent report this morning.
My first impressions were the Dick Pound gets it. This is the guy, remember, who noted that Jamaica was not providing a doping protocal at the same level as countries such as the US, Great Britain and France. He did it and did not care about the consequences.
The focus of this 235 page report is the ARD TV allegations of the systematic Russian programs to cheat by doping in sports. Pound noted that the Moscow Drug testing lab had destroyed 1,417 tests in December 2014, just before WADA came into review the tests.
Pound was unable to speak on the second part of the Commissions’ Report, which was forwarded to Interpol and the French authorities. As most know, Lamine Diack, and several of his cronies, as well as two sons are the focus of a criminal investigation into the ring of extortion that came about to hide results of some positive tests.
Many questions were left unanswered. Pound made sure the media knew that he had a very tight focus on this report. That was his mandate.
More to come.
WADA welcomes Independent Commission’s Report into Widespread Doping in Sport
Agency commits to leading the charge in protecting the clean athlete
Commission recommends that WADA is reinforced with significant new resources to undertake additional responsibilities requiredThe World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has welcomed the thorough Report into widespread doping allegations issued by the WADA Independent Commission.
The Richard Pound-chaired Commission – which held a specially convened Press Conference for the world’s media in Geneva today – found that the allegations of widespread doping were substantiated by their investigation, and that far from being historical, many of the findings are still current in Russian sport today.
“The Independent Commission’s Report contains a series of findings that will shock and appall athletes and sports fans worldwide, and indeed many issues that highlight very current deficiencies with the anti-doping system in Russia,” said WADA President, Sir Craig Reedie.
“While the contents of the Report are deeply disturbing, the investigation is hugely positive for the clean athlete as it contains significant recommendations for how WADA and its partners in the anti-doping community can, and must, take swift corrective action to ensure anti-doping programs of the highest order are in place across the board,” he added. “WADA is fully committed in its role of leading the charge to protect the rights of clean athletes worldwide.”
The Commission made a series of recommendations for WADA, in addition to recommendations for other organizations including: the WADA-accredited Moscow Laboratory; the Russian National Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA); the All-Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF); and the Russian Ministry of Sport.
The Commission highlighted the need for WADA to insist upon compliance by all its signatories, and to prioritize regulating compliance of anti-doping programs. There were specific recommendations for WADA to declare the WADA-accredited Moscow Laboratory and Russian National Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) non-compliant. There was also a recommendation for the All-Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) to be declared non-compliant, which WADA will refer to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) so that appropriate action can be taken against ARAF as one of its member federations.
The Commission encouraged WADA to dedicate additional resources to run international investigations and compliance-related activities, as is now encouraged under the revised World Anti-Doping Code.
The Commission pointed to the clear need for WADA to be provided with increased resources in order to carry out the additional activities highlighted in the Report, which are required for quality anti-doping systems to prosper worldwide.
The Independent Commission’s recommendations for WADA can be read in full in the Report.
The Commission found that there was a systematic level of doping that had been perpetuated in part by unscrupulous athlete support personnel in Russia. The Commission cited a level of state influence in its findings, though it also expressly mentioned that Russia and athletics were not alone in their involvement with orchestrated doping in sport.
ABOUT THE WADA INDEPENDENT COMMISSION (IC)
On 11 December 2014, WADA launched the IC to investigate the validity of allegations of doping practices; corrupt practices around sample collection and results management; and, other ineffective administration of anti-doping processes that implicate Russia, the IAAF, athletes, coaches, trainers, doctors and other members of athletes’ entourages; as well as, the accredited laboratory based in Moscow and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA). As per the terms of its mandate, the IC was scheduled to deliver its report to WADA’s President Sir Craig Reedie by 31 December 2015.
The role of the IC Commission was extended by WADA in August 2015 following the release of the documentary titled ‘Doping – Top Secret: The Shadowy World of Athletics’, which contained new allegations regarding widespread doping in international athletics. The documentary alleged that ARD and The Sunday Times obtained a leaked database, belonging to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which contained more than 12,000 blood tests from around 5,000 athletes in the years 2001 to 2012.
The IC has not yet reported on its findings from the August allegations, nor those portions relating to matters now under police investigation, because its investigation into these particular allegations is still ongoing. The IC expects to report on these findings before the end of the year.
