Russian athletes are unlikely to see their suspension from international competition lifted when the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) council meet to discuss the athletics powerhouse’s ongoing bid to eradicate doping.
The Russian track and field federation (ARAF) was suspended by the IAAF in November last year after the latter acted on a sensational report by an independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) that found evidence of state-sponsored doping and large-scale corruption in Russian athletics.
The two-day IAAF Council meeting yesterday and today is being presided over by British two-time Olympic 1,500m gold medalist Sebastian Coe, who has found himself at the center of unprecedented attention since taking over the presidency from the now-disgraced Lamine Diack.
Photo: AP
However, there is little prospect of an easy way back into the international fold for Russian athletes, increasing the likelihood they might miss the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in August.
Dick Pound, coauthor of the initial damning WADA report into Russian doping that prompted the ban, on Wednesday said that there was still “a wall of denial” within Russian athletics and its federation was not doing enough to prove it was ready to take part in Rio.
Speaking at the Tackling Doping in Sport conference in London, Pound said: “Even with the presence of credible evidence, there was, and to some extent there still is, a wall of denial.”
“Russia, in the sport of athletics, is on the outside trying to get back in,” he said. “The onus is on it to justify any readmission.”
“It is also clear that opinion is divided on the matter of readmission. The Russians seem to assume that the controversy will disappear and there should be no question regarding their participation in Rio. No question,” he said. “In other parts of the sporting world there is great resistance to any fast-track solution.”
“It is a considerable hurdle for them and if the two organizations [WADA and IAAF] are not satisfied that the clean competitors of the Games are protected, then my guess is that they may not make it back for Rio,” he added.
Pound’s words followed another explosive documentary by German broadcaster ARD detailing continued violations by Russia’s athletics program.
Entitled Doping Top Secret: Russia’s Red Herrings, the ARD program contained new allegations suggesting malpractice by several people in the Russian anti-doping system and alleges someone from the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) gave advance warning to athletes of testing plans.
“At a time when trust in sport is wafer thin, these troubling assertions will do little to reinforce confidence in the Russian anti-doping system when clean athletes need it most,” WADA president Craig Reedie said. “The allegations suggest that there is still much, much work to be done in Russia and that we will need the full and unwavering cooperation of the Russian authorities to reverse the damage. Until this happens, clean athletes won’t be able to trust that there is a level playing field.”
“I will not hesitate to act swiftly to ensure that any breaches to the code are dealt with firmly and expeditiously,” Reedie said. “Strong and decisive action by all sporting authorities is imperative if clean athletes, and indeed the public at large, are to retain belief in the integrity of sport.”
Russian Minister of Sports Vitaly Mutko was quick to shrug off blame attributed in the ARD documentary, saying that “to talk about the responsibility of the state in the case of every individual violation is impossible.”
“If people are guilty then they will be punished in accordance with the rules,” Mutko said.
The council, on whose behalf Coe is to address the media today, could also examine the case of Kenya, the east African track power that has seen about 40 athletes caught up in drug scandals over the past three years and federation supremo Isaac Mwangin suspended for corruption involving cover-ups.
Reedie has informed Kenyan athletics officials that they must conform to doping guidelines before April 5 or face their athletes being banned for the Rio Olympics.
Although Shohei Ohtani’s first trip to the Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series is a global sports event, it is particularly big in Japan. Fans from Ohtani’s home nation bought more World Series tickets for the first two games than from anywhere outside North America, ticket broker StubHub said. Dodger Stadium was packed to the rafters on Friday night for the start of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ showdown with the New York Yankees. “Ohtani’s first season with the Dodgers drew big international appeal, especially from his home country of Japan,” StubHub spokesperson Adam Budelli said. “At the beginning of the season, buyers from
The Major League Baseball World Series trophy is headed to Los Angeles, but the party is extending all the way to Japan. People milled around local train stations yesterday morning in Tokyo as newspaper extras were ready to roll off the presses, proclaiming Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto as world champions along with their Dodgers teammates after a stirring Game 5 victory over the New York Yankees. The 30-year-old is a national hero in Japan whose face adorns billboards and TV adverts all over the country. Ohtani this year became the first player in history to hit 50 home runs and
STAR IN DOUBT: After partially dislocating his shoulder in a feetfirst slide into second base, the status of Japanese slugger Ohtani is uncertain for Game 3 as he undergoes tests Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Saturday walked back to his dugout and made the slightest tip of his cap to cheering fans. He left Japan for moments like this, an opportunity to put the Los Angeles Dodgers in control of the World Series. Yamamoto allowed one hit over 6-1/3 innings and Freddie Freeman homered for the second straight night as Los Angeles beat the New York Yankees 4-2 for a 2-0 Series lead. However, the Dodgers head to New York uncertain whether Shohei Ohtani can play after their biggest star partially dislocated his left shoulder on a slide at second base. “We’re going to get
Three-time reigning world champion Kaori Sakamoto on Saturday led a Japanese podium sweep at Skate Canada, locking up a second straight Canadian women’s title despite two falls in her free skate. Sakamoto, who led 19-year-old American Alysa Liu after the short program, looked a little tight during her jazzy free skate, falling on a Salchow jump and again on a triple flip while fighting to hang on to a few other moves. Her second-best free skate score of 126.24 was enough for gold in the second Grand Prix event of the season in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She finished with 201.21 points, well ahead