International Olympic Committee extremely upset by Russian doping data manipulation
International Olympic Committee (IOC) Director of Communications Mark Adams
The International Olympic Committee isextremelyupsetby the latestdopingscandal involving Russia and swift progress is being made to bring the issue to a conclusion, a spokesman said on Tuesday.
A World Anti-DopingAgency (WADA) compliance committee recommended last week that Russia receive a four-year Olympic ban, which would keep it out of next year’s Tokyo Games, as part of a sanctions package to punish Moscow for having provided the agency with doctored and incomplete laboratorydata.
WADA's executive committee will meet in Lausanne on December9 to consider the recommendations, which the head of Russia's Olympic Committee described last week as "excessive, inappropriate and wrong."
TheRussianAnti-DopingAgency (RUSADA) was initially suspended after a 2015 WADA report found evidence of widespread state-sponsoreddopinginRussiansport involving athletes across many sports.
"Things are moving pretty quickly,"IOCspokesman Mark Adams said. "We condemn (themanipulationofdata) in the strongest terms. We asked for the rawdatato be given up if it can be.
"There is a WADA meeting in the next few days so it could be happening more quickly.
"People (within theIOCExecutive Board) areextremelyupsetand condemn it."
TheIOCis still unclear about the next steps in aRussiandopingsaga that has dragged on since 2015 and tarnished several Olympics, including the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016 and the Pyeongchang Winter Games last year.
The WADA decision is likely to determine whetherRussianathletes, who can prove they are clean, will compete as neutrals or whether some will be invited by theIOCto compete in Tokyo.
"I am not totally clear on that. I would imagine the (IOC) Executive Board would be able to make a decision," Adams said when asked about the process after WADA's decision next Monday.
"To be honest WADA is responsible. It is a process that needs to go from WADA eventually to the Court of Arbitration for Sport."
TheIOCis eager to have clarity on the matter as soon as possible to avoid a protracted legal fight similar to the one prior to the Rio Olympics when dozens ofRussianathletes appealed to CAS to be allowed to compete in Brazil only weeks or even days before their competitions.