China responded to the Russia Olympic ban on Wednesday (December 6) by saying that it has &quot;always opposed&quot; doping but added that the &quot;rights of all clean athletes&quot; should be protected.

The comments came from Foreign Ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang at a regular news briefing in Beijing.

The IOC banned Russia on Tuesday (December 5) from the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games after evidence emerged of an &quot;unprecedented systematic manipulation&quot; of the anti-doping system. This followed a similar ban, also for doping, on Russia for the 2016 Rio (summer) Olympic Games. The door was left open, however, for Russians to compete as an &quot;Olympic Athlete of Russia&quot; as long as they satisfy strict conditions that show they have a doping-free background.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced in October that it will investigate allegations made by a retired physician that systematic doping took place in Chinese sport during the 1980s and 1990s.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang commented on Russia's Olympic ban that the country has always ''opposed doping" and the "rights of all clean athletes must be protected".

China responded to the Russia Olympic ban on Wednesday (December 6) by saying that it has "always opposed" doping but added that the "rights of all clean athletes" should be protected. The comments came from Foreign Ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang at a regular news briefing in Beijing. The IOC banned Russia on Tuesday (December 5) from the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games after evidence emerged of an "unprecedented systematic manipulation" of the anti-doping system. This followed a similar ban, also for doping, on Russia for the 2016 Rio (summer) Olympic Games. The door was left open, however, for Russians to compete as an "Olympic Athlete of Russia" as long as they satisfy strict conditions that show they have a doping-free background. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced in October that it will investigate allegations made by a retired physician that systematic doping took place in Chinese sport during the 1980s and 1990s.

China on Russia's Olympic ban: 'Rights of clean athletes must be protected'

Russia&#39;s Mariya Savinova-Farnosova has been stripped of her 800m London 2012 Olympic Games gold medal after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Friday imposed a four-year ban saying there was &quot;clear evidence&quot; she used performance-enhancing drugs.

She is the latest in a growing list of Russian athletes to have past Olympic medals taken away over doping, as the nation struggles to overcome its most widespread doping scandal ever.

The retroactive four-year penalty starts from Aug. 24, 2015, but CAS also disqualified all Savinova&#39;s results from July 26, 2010, to Aug. 19, 2013, thereby stripping her of her 2011 world championships gold, 2013 world silver and 2010 European gold.

South Africa&#39;s double silver medallist Caster Semenya is now in line to be promoted to gold in both the 2012 Olympics and 2011 world championships.

The 31-year-old former 800 metre world and Olympic champion was among the athletes that a commission set up by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) recommended be banned for life in 2015.

&quot;On the basis of clear evidence, including the evidence derived from her biological passport, Mariya Savinova-Farnosova is found to have been engaged in using doping from 26 July 2010 through to 19 August 2013,&quot; CAS said.

It took the action as the decision-making authority while Russia&#39;s athletics federation remains banned over the country&#39;s state-backed doping scandal.

Almost the entire track and field team of Russia were banned from competing at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

More than 100 athletes have so far tested positive in re-tests of samples taken during the London and Beijing 2008 Olympics conducted by the International Olympic Committee. Russia has the most positive re-tests per nation.

(Reuters)

Russia's Mariya Savinova-Farnosova has been stripped of her 800m London 2012 Olympic gold medal after a court found her guilty of doping

Russia's Mariya Savinova-Farnosova has been stripped of her 800m London 2012 Olympic Games gold medal after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Friday imposed a four-year ban saying there was "clear evidence" she used performance-enhancing drugs. She is the latest in a growing list of Russian athletes to have past Olympic medals taken away over doping, as the nation struggles to overcome its most widespread doping scandal ever. The retroactive four-year penalty starts from Aug. 24, 2015, but CAS also disqualified all Savinova's results from July 26, 2010, to Aug. 19, 2013, thereby stripping her of her 2011 world championships gold, 2013 world silver and 2010 European gold. South Africa's double silver medallist Caster Semenya is now in line to be promoted to gold in both the 2012 Olympics and 2011 world championships. The 31-year-old former 800 metre world and Olympic champion was among the athletes that a commission set up by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) recommended be banned for life in 2015. "On the basis of clear evidence, including the evidence derived from her biological passport, Mariya Savinova-Farnosova is found to have been engaged in using doping from 26 July 2010 through to 19 August 2013," CAS said. It took the action as the decision-making authority while Russia's athletics federation remains banned over the country's state-backed doping scandal. Almost the entire track and field team of Russia were banned from competing at the Rio 2016 Olympics. More than 100 athletes have so far tested positive in re-tests of samples taken during the London and Beijing 2008 Olympics conducted by the International Olympic Committee. Russia has the most positive re-tests per nation. (Reuters)

Russian athlete found guilty of doping, stripped of Olympic gold

The Russian runner who helped expose a system of state-backed&nbsp;doping in her country says she fears for her life and has been&nbsp;forced to move after hackers tried to find her location. 
 
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Saturday Yulia&nbsp;Stepanova&#39;s online doping management account had been illegally&nbsp;accessed. The doping scandal she lifted the lid on has rocked&nbsp;sport and cost over 100 Russians their place at the Rio Games. 
 
Stepanova has been in hiding in the United States with her husband&nbsp;Vitaly, a former Russian anti-doping official, after giving&nbsp;evidence that the Russian government for years facilitated&nbsp;widespread cheating across nearly all Olympic sports. 
 
Speaking to journalists on a video conference call just days&nbsp;before the 800 metres final in Rio, which she has been barred from&nbsp;running in following the suspension of Russian track-and-field&nbsp;from international competition, Stepanova said she had moved her&nbsp;family to another location after the hack. 
 
&quot;The only reason somebody would hack an ADAMS account is to find&nbsp;out your exact location,&quot; she said. &quot;We decided it was safer to&nbsp;relocate. 
 
&quot;If something happens to us then you should know that it is not an&nbsp;accident.&quot; 
 
All athletes have to enter their details into WADA&#39;s Anti-Doping&nbsp;Administration and Management System (ADAMS) and register a time&nbsp;and location each day where they can be reached by doping testers&nbsp;for an out-of-competition test. 
 
Stepanova and her husband have repeatedly raised concerns about&nbsp;their safety in light of the doping scandal they helped ignite and&nbsp;criticised the International Olympic Committee for not doing more&nbsp;to support whistleblowers. 
 
Vitaly Stepanov said he did not know who had hacked his wife&#39;s&nbsp;account but said the couple were being watched by Russian&nbsp;authorities. 
 
After she initially fled Russia for Germany, Russian sports&nbsp;officials said they did not know about any threats against&nbsp;Stepanova or her husband that could have compelled them to seek&nbsp;refuge abroad. 
 
Stepanova said attending the Games - she and her husband declined&nbsp;an invitation from Olympic bosses to visit as spectators - would&nbsp;have left her particularly vulnerable. 
 
General worries about safety and violent crime have cast a pall&nbsp;over the Rio Olympics. Most recently, U.S. gold medallist swimmer&nbsp;Ryan Lochte was robbed at gunpoint by men posing as police&nbsp;officers. 
 
&quot;Watching the Olympic Games and reading the news about what is&nbsp;happening there, on some level I&#39;m glad that I didn&#39;t go,&quot; she&nbsp;said. &quot;If someone wanted to hurt us, it would be very easy to do&nbsp;it there.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The doping scandal has now cost over 100 Russians their place at the Rio Games

The Russian runner who helped expose a system of state-backed doping in her country says she fears for her life and has been forced to move after hackers tried to find her location. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Saturday Yulia Stepanova's online doping management account had been illegally accessed. The doping scandal she lifted the lid on has rocked sport and cost over 100 Russians their place at the Rio Games. Stepanova has been in hiding in the United States with her husband Vitaly, a former Russian anti-doping official, after giving evidence that the Russian government for years facilitated widespread cheating across nearly all Olympic sports. Speaking to journalists on a video conference call just days before the 800 metres final in Rio, which she has been barred from running in following the suspension of Russian track-and-field from international competition, Stepanova said she had moved her family to another location after the hack. "The only reason somebody would hack an ADAMS account is to find out your exact location," she said. "We decided it was safer to relocate. "If something happens to us then you should know that it is not an accident." All athletes have to enter their details into WADA's Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS) and register a time and location each day where they can be reached by doping testers for an out-of-competition test. Stepanova and her husband have repeatedly raised concerns about their safety in light of the doping scandal they helped ignite and criticised the International Olympic Committee for not doing more to support whistleblowers. Vitaly Stepanov said he did not know who had hacked his wife's account but said the couple were being watched by Russian authorities. After she initially fled Russia for Germany, Russian sports officials said they did not know about any threats against Stepanova or her husband that could have compelled them to seek refuge abroad. Stepanova said attending the Games - she and her husband declined an invitation from Olympic bosses to visit as spectators - would have left her particularly vulnerable. General worries about safety and violent crime have cast a pall over the Rio Olympics. Most recently, U.S. gold medallist swimmer Ryan Lochte was robbed at gunpoint by men posing as police officers. "Watching the Olympic Games and reading the news about what is happening there, on some level I'm glad that I didn't go," she said. "If someone wanted to hurt us, it would be very easy to do it there." (Reuters)

Rio Olympics 2016: Russian runner Stepanova fears for life after exposing state-backed doping

Unknown attackers have hacked into Russian whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova`s World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) records, the watchdog announced Saturday. 
 
The runner, who was excluded from the Rio Olympics and lives in hiding in the United States, has been a key source of information on accusations that the Russian government organised doping on a massive scale. 
 
WADA said that Stepanova`s password for her account with the agency had been &quot;illegally obtained, which allowed a perpetrator to access her account&quot;. 
 
Athletes have to detail their movements on the account so that dope testers know where they can be found.&nbsp; 
 
WADA said its security monitoring had &quot;noted that someone, other than Ms. Stepanova, had accessed her account. 
 
&quot;WADA immediately locked Ms. Stepanova`s account to prevent further access and notified her of the situation.&quot; 
 
The agency said it was monitoring whether other athletes had been caught up in the phishing attack, where users are tricked into giving their personal details. 
 
&quot;The agency confirmed that some users had received illegitimate emails that look as though they come from WADA, which ask users to click on a link and enter their personal credentials,&quot; a WADA statement said. 
 
&quot;We continue monitoring the situation to determine whether or not users have acted (or act) on these emails to ensure that data remains secure,&quot; it added. 
 
&quot;Unfortunately, like many organisations, WADA is not immune to attempted cyber-attacks... WADA is in contact with the relevant law enforcement authorities.&quot; 
 
Separately, International Olympic Committee spokesman Marc Adams said the body was also undergoing &quot;particularly intense&quot; attacks from hackers during the Games. 
 
&quot;It`s not unusual to be subject to attempts to break our security... we come under regular attack from people trying to break into our security,&quot; he said. 
 
(AFP)

World Anti-Doping Agency says Russian athlete's account was 'illegally obtained, which allowed a perpetrator to access her account'

Unknown attackers have hacked into Russian whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova`s World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) records, the watchdog announced Saturday. The runner, who was excluded from the Rio Olympics and lives in hiding in the United States, has been a key source of information on accusations that the Russian government organised doping on a massive scale. WADA said that Stepanova`s password for her account with the agency had been "illegally obtained, which allowed a perpetrator to access her account". Athletes have to detail their movements on the account so that dope testers know where they can be found. WADA said its security monitoring had "noted that someone, other than Ms. Stepanova, had accessed her account. "WADA immediately locked Ms. Stepanova`s account to prevent further access and notified her of the situation." The agency said it was monitoring whether other athletes had been caught up in the phishing attack, where users are tricked into giving their personal details. "The agency confirmed that some users had received illegitimate emails that look as though they come from WADA, which ask users to click on a link and enter their personal credentials," a WADA statement said. "We continue monitoring the situation to determine whether or not users have acted (or act) on these emails to ensure that data remains secure," it added. "Unfortunately, like many organisations, WADA is not immune to attempted cyber-attacks... WADA is in contact with the relevant law enforcement authorities." Separately, International Olympic Committee spokesman Marc Adams said the body was also undergoing "particularly intense" attacks from hackers during the Games. "It`s not unusual to be subject to attempts to break our security... we come under regular attack from people trying to break into our security," he said. (AFP)

Whistleblower Stepanova's account hacked by unknown attackers

Five-times grand slam champion Maria Sharapova has lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) seeking to have her two-year doping ban dismissed or reduced.&nbsp; 
 
The 29-year-old Russian was banned by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) earlier this month following a positive test for the banned drug meldonium during January&#39;s Australian Open. 
 
&quot;In her appeal to the CAS, Ms Sharapova seeks the annulment of the Tribunal&rsquo;s decision to sanction her with a two-year period of ineligibility further to an anti-doping rule violation,&quot; sport&#39;s highest tribunal said in a statement. &quot;Ms Sharapova submits that the period of ineligibility should be eliminated, or in the alternative, reduced.&quot; 
 
The statement added that her case had been expedited and a ruling would be made by July 18 at the latest, which means Sharapova still harbours hopes of competing at the Rio Olympics in August provided her ban is reduced to time already served. 
 
The former world number one was named in Russia&#39;s official entry list for the Olympics. 
 
Sharapova had called the ITF&#39;s ruling &quot;unfairly harsh&quot; as an independent tribunal had found that she had not intentionally violated anti-doping rules. 
 
Meldonium was added to WADA&#39;s list of banned substances at the start of the year after mounting evidence that it boosted blood flow and enhanced athletic performance. 
 
The World Anti-Doping Agency said in a statement on Tuesday that it reviewed the tribunal&#39;s decision and confirmed it would not be using its independent right to appeal to CAS. 
 
Since January, about 180 athletes have tested positive for the drug, which is manufactured in Latvia and common throughout eastern Europe. 
 
Sharapova stunned the sporting world in March when she announced that she had tested positive for meldonium, a component of a product named Mildronate which she has taken since 2006 for health issues. 
(Reuters)

"Unfairly harsh" ruling contested, as independent tribunal says drug was taken accidentally

Five-times grand slam champion Maria Sharapova has lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) seeking to have her two-year doping ban dismissed or reduced. The 29-year-old Russian was banned by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) earlier this month following a positive test for the banned drug meldonium during January's Australian Open. "In her appeal to the CAS, Ms Sharapova seeks the annulment of the Tribunal’s decision to sanction her with a two-year period of ineligibility further to an anti-doping rule violation," sport's highest tribunal said in a statement. "Ms Sharapova submits that the period of ineligibility should be eliminated, or in the alternative, reduced." The statement added that her case had been expedited and a ruling would be made by July 18 at the latest, which means Sharapova still harbours hopes of competing at the Rio Olympics in August provided her ban is reduced to time already served. The former world number one was named in Russia's official entry list for the Olympics. Sharapova had called the ITF's ruling "unfairly harsh" as an independent tribunal had found that she had not intentionally violated anti-doping rules. Meldonium was added to WADA's list of banned substances at the start of the year after mounting evidence that it boosted blood flow and enhanced athletic performance. The World Anti-Doping Agency said in a statement on Tuesday that it reviewed the tribunal's decision and confirmed it would not be using its independent right to appeal to CAS. Since January, about 180 athletes have tested positive for the drug, which is manufactured in Latvia and common throughout eastern Europe. Sharapova stunned the sporting world in March when she announced that she had tested positive for meldonium, a component of a product named Mildronate which she has taken since 2006 for health issues. (Reuters)

Sharapova appeals her two-year doping ban in quest to be eligible for the Rio Olympics

The International Olympic Committee&#39;s decision to reject calls to ban all Russian competitors from the Rio Olympics could lead to &quot;lesser protection for clean athletes,&quot; the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Sunday. 
 
The global anti-doping agency said it stood by its earlier recommendation that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decline all entries for the Rio Games submitted by the Russian Olympic Committee. 
 
The IOC on Sunday resisted calls for a blanket ban on Russians competing in next month&#39;s Rio games due to the country&#39;s doping record, leaving decisions on individual athletes&#39; participation with their sports federations. 
 
&quot;WADA is disappointed that the IOC did not heed WADA&rsquo;s Executive Committee recommendations that were based on the outcomes of the McLaren Investigation and would have ensured a straight-forward, strong and harmonised approach,&rdquo; WADA President Craig Reedie said in a statement. 
 
&ldquo;The McLaren Report exposed, beyond a reasonable doubt, a state-run doping program in Russia that seriously undermines the principles of clean sport embodied within the World Anti-Doping Code,&quot; Reedie added. 
 
&#39;Why did IOC not allow Stepanova to run as independent athlete?&#39; 
 
WADA also joined other anti-doping leaders in expressing concern over the effect of the IOC decision. 
 
&quot;The approach taken and the criteria set forward will inevitably lead to a lack of harmonisation, potential challenges and lesser protection for clean athletes,&rdquo; WADA Director General Olivier Niggli said. 
 
He also questioned why the IOC had not allowed Russian whistleblower Yulia Stepanova to run as an independent athlete in Rio. 
 
&quot;Ms. Stepanova was instrumental in courageously exposing the single biggest doping scandal of all time,&rdquo; Niggli said. &ldquo;WADA is very concerned by the message that this sends whistleblowers for the future.&quot; 
 
Evidence from the McLaren report had also been sent to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), WADA said. 
 
The IPC will make its own decision on whether to permit Russian athletes in the Paralympics. It has already started suspension proceedings against Russia following the McLaren report. 
 
Responding to IOC calls that the agency review the anti-doping system, WADA said it was fully committed to further strengthening system. 
 
It also confirmed professor Richard McLaren would continue his investigative work into doping and &quot;identify athletes that might have benefited from manipulation of the doping control process to conceal positive doping tests&quot;. 
 
(Reuters)

The IOC resisted calls for a blanket ban on Sunday on Russians competing in next month's Rio games due to the country's doping record

The International Olympic Committee's decision to reject calls to ban all Russian competitors from the Rio Olympics could lead to "lesser protection for clean athletes," the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Sunday. The global anti-doping agency said it stood by its earlier recommendation that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decline all entries for the Rio Games submitted by the Russian Olympic Committee. The IOC on Sunday resisted calls for a blanket ban on Russians competing in next month's Rio games due to the country's doping record, leaving decisions on individual athletes' participation with their sports federations. "WADA is disappointed that the IOC did not heed WADA’s Executive Committee recommendations that were based on the outcomes of the McLaren Investigation and would have ensured a straight-forward, strong and harmonised approach,” WADA President Craig Reedie said in a statement. “The McLaren Report exposed, beyond a reasonable doubt, a state-run doping program in Russia that seriously undermines the principles of clean sport embodied within the World Anti-Doping Code," Reedie added. 'Why did IOC not allow Stepanova to run as independent athlete?' WADA also joined other anti-doping leaders in expressing concern over the effect of the IOC decision. "The approach taken and the criteria set forward will inevitably lead to a lack of harmonisation, potential challenges and lesser protection for clean athletes,” WADA Director General Olivier Niggli said. He also questioned why the IOC had not allowed Russian whistleblower Yulia Stepanova to run as an independent athlete in Rio. "Ms. Stepanova was instrumental in courageously exposing the single biggest doping scandal of all time,” Niggli said. “WADA is very concerned by the message that this sends whistleblowers for the future." Evidence from the McLaren report had also been sent to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), WADA said. The IPC will make its own decision on whether to permit Russian athletes in the Paralympics. It has already started suspension proceedings against Russia following the McLaren report. Responding to IOC calls that the agency review the anti-doping system, WADA said it was fully committed to further strengthening system. It also confirmed professor Richard McLaren would continue his investigative work into doping and "identify athletes that might have benefited from manipulation of the doping control process to conceal positive doping tests". (Reuters)

Rio Olympics 2016: WADA 'disappointed' by IOC decision on Russia

A Russian whistleblower who helped uncover the biggest doping scandal in decades has said that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is more concerned about protecting the organisation than ridding the sports world of drugs cheats. 
 
A day after the IOC rejected a request by his wife, former Russian drugs cheat Yulia Stepanova, to run in the Rio Games as an independent athlete, Vitaly Stepanov said an invite to attend the Rio Games as spectators felt like they were being bought. 
 
The IOC decided on Sunday not to impose a blanket ban on Russian athletes due to the country&#39;s doping history, allowing sports federations to decide on individual cases.&nbsp;However, it said athletes who have been sanctioned in the past for doping would not be eligible for Rio. 
 
&quot;My personal view, from the communications we had with people from the IOC, those people had no interest in clean sport,&quot; Stepanov said in a telephone interview. 
 
&quot;I got the impression the only thing they cared about, even the person from the ethics department, is protecting the IOC as an organisation.&quot; 
 
Stepanov, who previously worked for Russia&#39;s anti-doping agency, and his wife helped expose the doping scandal which threatened to exclude Russia from the Olympics. 
 
The couple now live in an undisclosed location in the United States, fearful for their lives.&nbsp;Stepanov said the invitation to travel to Rio to watch the Games left them cold. 
 
&quot;I felt like, &#39;Are you trying to buy us?&#39;&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;Is that how IOC treats whistleblowers? Make them quiet by giving them IOC accreditation and access to VIP lounges.&quot; 
 
A spokesman for the IOC could not be reached late on Monday for comment. 
 
Strong words, weak acts 
 
The IOC&#39;s decision not to impose a blanket ban on Russian athletes from the Rio Games, a ban which was requested by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), showed &quot;the IOC is not a leader in sport movement&quot;, Stepanov said. 
 
&quot;It says strong words but it acts weak.&quot; 
 
The couple have asked the IOC executive board (IOC EB) to review its decision. 
 
&quot;(We) cannot but be very disappointed that the IOC EB has obviously not been given the correct information by the IOC ethics commission,&quot; they said in a letter to IOC director general Christophe de Kepper. 
 
Stepanov&#39;s wife continues to train and was still hoping the IOC might change its mind, he said. 
 
&quot;She will never win another medal. It&#39;s more about her participating and trying to see how fast she can run by being an honest athlete,&quot; he added. 
 
The IOC recognised Stepanova&rsquo;s testimony and public statements as having &quot;made a contribution to the protection and promotion of clean athletes, fair play and the integrity and authenticity of sport.&quot; 
 
However, it also said neither she nor any Russian athlete with a doping past would be eligible for the Games.&nbsp;Stepanov said he had never talked to IOC president Thomas Bach about the case. &quot;Just one email exchange,&quot; he said. 
 
There also had been &quot;just one, one-hour conversation with one person from IOC ethics commission&quot;, he added. 
 
&quot;They write things like zero tolerance in doping, but you don&#39;t get that impression when you talk to people from IOC.&quot;&nbsp;Doping would never be brought under control &quot;until IOC members start caring about clean athletes and about clean sport and competition&quot;, Stepanov said. 
 
He cautioned that the IOC&#39;s stance on Russia was a green light to others engaged in doping. 
 
&quot;If you are doping in a system that is similar to Russia, continue doing so because there is no reason to fight it, because in the end the IOC will say they will not punish the system, but we will punish the whistleblower,&quot; he said. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Stepanov, who had worked for Russia's anti-doping agency, and his wife exposed the scandal which threatened to exclude Russia from Olympics

A Russian whistleblower who helped uncover the biggest doping scandal in decades has said that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is more concerned about protecting the organisation than ridding the sports world of drugs cheats. A day after the IOC rejected a request by his wife, former Russian drugs cheat Yulia Stepanova, to run in the Rio Games as an independent athlete, Vitaly Stepanov said an invite to attend the Rio Games as spectators felt like they were being bought. The IOC decided on Sunday not to impose a blanket ban on Russian athletes due to the country's doping history, allowing sports federations to decide on individual cases. However, it said athletes who have been sanctioned in the past for doping would not be eligible for Rio. "My personal view, from the communications we had with people from the IOC, those people had no interest in clean sport," Stepanov said in a telephone interview. "I got the impression the only thing they cared about, even the person from the ethics department, is protecting the IOC as an organisation." Stepanov, who previously worked for Russia's anti-doping agency, and his wife helped expose the doping scandal which threatened to exclude Russia from the Olympics. The couple now live in an undisclosed location in the United States, fearful for their lives. Stepanov said the invitation to travel to Rio to watch the Games left them cold. "I felt like, 'Are you trying to buy us?'" he said. "Is that how IOC treats whistleblowers? Make them quiet by giving them IOC accreditation and access to VIP lounges." A spokesman for the IOC could not be reached late on Monday for comment. Strong words, weak acts The IOC's decision not to impose a blanket ban on Russian athletes from the Rio Games, a ban which was requested by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), showed "the IOC is not a leader in sport movement", Stepanov said. "It says strong words but it acts weak." The couple have asked the IOC executive board (IOC EB) to review its decision. "(We) cannot but be very disappointed that the IOC EB has obviously not been given the correct information by the IOC ethics commission," they said in a letter to IOC director general Christophe de Kepper. Stepanov's wife continues to train and was still hoping the IOC might change its mind, he said. "She will never win another medal. It's more about her participating and trying to see how fast she can run by being an honest athlete," he added. The IOC recognised Stepanova’s testimony and public statements as having "made a contribution to the protection and promotion of clean athletes, fair play and the integrity and authenticity of sport." However, it also said neither she nor any Russian athlete with a doping past would be eligible for the Games. Stepanov said he had never talked to IOC president Thomas Bach about the case. "Just one email exchange," he said. There also had been "just one, one-hour conversation with one person from IOC ethics commission", he added. "They write things like zero tolerance in doping, but you don't get that impression when you talk to people from IOC." Doping would never be brought under control "until IOC members start caring about clean athletes and about clean sport and competition", Stepanov said. He cautioned that the IOC's stance on Russia was a green light to others engaged in doping. "If you are doping in a system that is similar to Russia, continue doing so because there is no reason to fight it, because in the end the IOC will say they will not punish the system, but we will punish the whistleblower," he said. (Reuters)

IOC has 'no interest in clean sport', says whistleblower

Indian sports establishment is going through a particularly frustrating phase with three of its athletes testing positive in the recent anti-doping tests. Wrestlers Narsingh and Sandeep Yadav, and more recently, shot put player Inderjeet Singh have tested positive in the doping tests conducted on them by National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). &nbsp;Already chosen to be part of India&#39;s Olympic squad, neither Narsingh nor Inderjeet can now participate in the upcoming competition at Rio. Sandeep, though not part of the Indian squad, faces the possibility of years of expulsion from the game.&nbsp; 
 
Both Narshing and Sandeep had methandieone, an anabolic steroid in their urine. &nbsp;In case of Inderjeet, sources could not confirm the banned material found in his body other than referring to it as a &quot;fancy sounding drug&quot;. With largest ever contingent of 120 contestants registered to participate, this year&#39;s Olympic could have been one of the high-marks in independent India&#39;s sporting history instead the country squirms in the humiliation of the scandal.&nbsp; 
 
The Rio Olympic authorities have outlined Anti-Doping Rules, which will remain effective from the opening of the Athletes&#39; Village on 24 July until the closing ceremony on 21 August 2016. &nbsp;These rules are drafted in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code (Code) and the List of Prohibited Substance and Methods that are put together, updated and modified annually by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) . Founded in 1999, WADA&#39;s authority is pervasive in the sporting world with its Code been presently adopted by 600 sports organisations internationally.&nbsp; 
 
The Anti-Doping rules of the Rio Olympic states that all athletes registered to compete at the Game can be tested at anytime, anywhere in the world, including outside the Olympic Village. The test procedure specifies that two separate samples, A and B, &nbsp;will be collected from athletes. If the testers find some banned substance in sample A, they will look for the same substance the sample B. The concerned athlete will retain the right to either accept the result of the first test or request for another test on sample B. The two analysis should be consistent, else the entire test will be considered void. &nbsp; 
 
All the three concerned contestants from India have tested positive in both counts of tests. Shot put player Inderjeet Singh, however , had been protesting his innocence. He alleges to be the victim of a &quot;conspiracy&quot; because of his alleged critical attitude towards the authorities. &quot;I have been framed because I am outspoken. This is a conspiracy against me&quot;, Singh lashed out to TV channels. Singh had progressively improved his performance over the years both at the domestic and international competitions. In 2015, he won three Gold medals while representing India at the Asian Championship at Wuhan, the Asian Grand Prix at Bangkok and at the Summer Universiade at Gwangju.&nbsp; 
 
Though no direct comment was available from Narsingh Yadav, similar conspiracy theories, however, are making rounds. Deeply disturbed by this sudden turn of events, Narsingh&#39;s mother Bhulna Devi confidently quips, &quot;He is implicated in it....all these things in the papers are incorrect.&quot; She cannot seem to come in terms with the fact that the high-achiever son who have consistently won Gold (Common Wealth Games 2010), Silver (Commonwealth Championships 2011) and Bronze medals (Asian Games 2014, Asian and World Championships 2015) could miss the chance of representing India at the Olympics.&nbsp; 
 
Even if we decide to ignore Bhulna Devi&#39;s claims as emotionally-triggered, the doubts expressed by people who are reputed to have expertise on the science of doping cannot be easily brushed aside. Dr PSM Chandran, the former director of sports medicine at Sports Authority of India (SAI), for instance, expressed his confusion as to why, so close to the competition, will some sportman consume any banned substance. All athletes, in their right mind, know that any such intakes will show up in random tests both in India and in Rio. Particularly, as the kind of steroid Narsingh used is &quot;quite ancient in use&quot;, Chandran points out; he still fails to find a reasonable motive.&nbsp; 
 
Notwithstanding their protestations, Narsingh and his roommate Sandeep Yadav have appeared before the disciplinary committee of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) .&nbsp; 
 
India&#39;s sport personalities have repeatedly failed drug test. In 2004, Athens Olympics, weightlifters Pratima Kumari and Sanamacha Chanu were found to be using performance enhancing drugs. Chanu tested positive again before the beginning of the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games. This time She was banned for eight long years. Over the years Indian Weightlifting Federation had been banned in 2004, 2006 and 2009. The symptoms have affected other sporting fields too. In 2011 &nbsp;NADA handed out one year bans to its quartermilers Ashwini Akkunji, Sini Jose, Mary Tiana Thomas, Priyanka Pawar, Jauna Murmu, Mandeep Kaur who tested positive ahead of the Asian Championship. Last year NADA declared that 21 weightlifters have tested positive and they were provisionally suspended by the Indian Weightlifting Federation. 
 
Faster, Higher, Stronger: In adopting these three aspirational words as the Olympic motto, &nbsp;Pierre de Coubertin hardly realised that sportsperson would narrowly interpret it - focusing on its technical meaning- while leaving out its moral and educational perspectives. The temptation to give in to shortcuts often deafens athletes to the original call to challenge physical limitations through hard work, grit and patience. The recent doping trend has alarmed many a sportslover who have lamented the loss of sportsmanship from the game. But the pressure to win, to prove one&#39;s skill, and to retain sponsors have become such paramount objectives that athletes are often willing to make choices that are eventually ruining the very dream that made them love the sports at the very first place.&nbsp; 
 
(WION)

Indian trio fails dope test, two will not make to Rio Oympics

Indian sports establishment is going through a particularly frustrating phase with three of its athletes testing positive in the recent anti-doping tests. Wrestlers Narsingh and Sandeep Yadav, and more recently, shot put player Inderjeet Singh have tested positive in the doping tests conducted on them by National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). Already chosen to be part of India's Olympic squad, neither Narsingh nor Inderjeet can now participate in the upcoming competition at Rio. Sandeep, though not part of the Indian squad, faces the possibility of years of expulsion from the game. Both Narshing and Sandeep had methandieone, an anabolic steroid in their urine. In case of Inderjeet, sources could not confirm the banned material found in his body other than referring to it as a "fancy sounding drug". With largest ever contingent of 120 contestants registered to participate, this year's Olympic could have been one of the high-marks in independent India's sporting history instead the country squirms in the humiliation of the scandal. The Rio Olympic authorities have outlined Anti-Doping Rules, which will remain effective from the opening of the Athletes' Village on 24 July until the closing ceremony on 21 August 2016. These rules are drafted in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code (Code) and the List of Prohibited Substance and Methods that are put together, updated and modified annually by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) . Founded in 1999, WADA's authority is pervasive in the sporting world with its Code been presently adopted by 600 sports organisations internationally. The Anti-Doping rules of the Rio Olympic states that all athletes registered to compete at the Game can be tested at anytime, anywhere in the world, including outside the Olympic Village. The test procedure specifies that two separate samples, A and B, will be collected from athletes. If the testers find some banned substance in sample A, they will look for the same substance the sample B. The concerned athlete will retain the right to either accept the result of the first test or request for another test on sample B. The two analysis should be consistent, else the entire test will be considered void. All the three concerned contestants from India have tested positive in both counts of tests. Shot put player Inderjeet Singh, however , had been protesting his innocence. He alleges to be the victim of a "conspiracy" because of his alleged critical attitude towards the authorities. "I have been framed because I am outspoken. This is a conspiracy against me", Singh lashed out to TV channels. Singh had progressively improved his performance over the years both at the domestic and international competitions. In 2015, he won three Gold medals while representing India at the Asian Championship at Wuhan, the Asian Grand Prix at Bangkok and at the Summer Universiade at Gwangju. Though no direct comment was available from Narsingh Yadav, similar conspiracy theories, however, are making rounds. Deeply disturbed by this sudden turn of events, Narsingh's mother Bhulna Devi confidently quips, "He is implicated in it....all these things in the papers are incorrect." She cannot seem to come in terms with the fact that the high-achiever son who have consistently won Gold (Common Wealth Games 2010), Silver (Commonwealth Championships 2011) and Bronze medals (Asian Games 2014, Asian and World Championships 2015) could miss the chance of representing India at the Olympics. Even if we decide to ignore Bhulna Devi's claims as emotionally-triggered, the doubts expressed by people who are reputed to have expertise on the science of doping cannot be easily brushed aside. Dr PSM Chandran, the former director of sports medicine at Sports Authority of India (SAI), for instance, expressed his confusion as to why, so close to the competition, will some sportman consume any banned substance. All athletes, in their right mind, know that any such intakes will show up in random tests both in India and in Rio. Particularly, as the kind of steroid Narsingh used is "quite ancient in use", Chandran points out; he still fails to find a reasonable motive. Notwithstanding their protestations, Narsingh and his roommate Sandeep Yadav have appeared before the disciplinary committee of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) . India's sport personalities have repeatedly failed drug test. In 2004, Athens Olympics, weightlifters Pratima Kumari and Sanamacha Chanu were found to be using performance enhancing drugs. Chanu tested positive again before the beginning of the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games. This time She was banned for eight long years. Over the years Indian Weightlifting Federation had been banned in 2004, 2006 and 2009. The symptoms have affected other sporting fields too. In 2011 NADA handed out one year bans to its quartermilers Ashwini Akkunji, Sini Jose, Mary Tiana Thomas, Priyanka Pawar, Jauna Murmu, Mandeep Kaur who tested positive ahead of the Asian Championship. Last year NADA declared that 21 weightlifters have tested positive and they were provisionally suspended by the Indian Weightlifting Federation. Faster, Higher, Stronger: In adopting these three aspirational words as the Olympic motto, Pierre de Coubertin hardly realised that sportsperson would narrowly interpret it - focusing on its technical meaning- while leaving out its moral and educational perspectives. The temptation to give in to shortcuts often deafens athletes to the original call to challenge physical limitations through hard work, grit and patience. The recent doping trend has alarmed many a sportslover who have lamented the loss of sportsmanship from the game. But the pressure to win, to prove one's skill, and to retain sponsors have become such paramount objectives that athletes are often willing to make choices that are eventually ruining the very dream that made them love the sports at the very first place. (WION)

Olympics: Saga of the game, glory and dope

Rowing&#39;s international governing body FISA announced on yesterday that 22 of 28 Russian rowers have been banned from competing in the Rio Games, based on criteria fixed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over state-sponsored doping in Russia. 
 
With just six rowers still eligible, Russia can only compete with one boat in Brazil, a men&#39;s coxless four, FISA said, after the country had originally qualified five boats. 
 
This follows FISA&#39;s announcement on Monday that three Russian rowers - Ivan Balandin, Anastasia Karabelshchikova and Ivan Podshivalov - would be barred from competing in Rio. 
 
Podshivalov and Karabelshchikova are not eligible because of past doping offences for which they served suspensions in 2007 and 2008, FISA said. 
 
FISA said that Balandin was among the 11 rowers whose doping tests were manipulated by the Moscow anti-doping laboratory and the Russian deputy minister of sport, as had been outlined in a damning report by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren published last week. 
 
The 19 rowers declared ineligible yesterday were because of non credible doping controls carried out in Moscow between 2012 and 2016. 
 
Russia&#39;s rowing federation said earlier Tuesday it would be appealing those three cases to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). 
 
And Russian rowing federation president Veniamin But slammed the decision to allow just six rowers to compete as a &quot;humiliation&quot;. 
 
&quot;This is a humiliation. I was in contact with the president of the International Federation and I am in shock, but we won&#39;t stop the battle,&quot; But told the R-Sport agency. 
 
&quot;Our Olympic Committee is holding discussions with the IOC on our behalf.&nbsp;I&#39;m waiting for the outcome of talks between the ROC (Russian Olympic Committee) and the IOC, we continue the battle. I think the final decision will be set out tomorrow.&quot; 
 
On Sunday the IOC ruled against a blanket ban on all Russian competitors in Rio, instead leaving it up to individual sports federations to decide on Russian athletes&#39; eligibility. 
 
(AFP)

Russia can only compete with one boat in Brazil with just six rowers still eligible. The country had originally qualified for five boats

Rowing's international governing body FISA announced on yesterday that 22 of 28 Russian rowers have been banned from competing in the Rio Games, based on criteria fixed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over state-sponsored doping in Russia. With just six rowers still eligible, Russia can only compete with one boat in Brazil, a men's coxless four, FISA said, after the country had originally qualified five boats. This follows FISA's announcement on Monday that three Russian rowers - Ivan Balandin, Anastasia Karabelshchikova and Ivan Podshivalov - would be barred from competing in Rio. Podshivalov and Karabelshchikova are not eligible because of past doping offences for which they served suspensions in 2007 and 2008, FISA said. FISA said that Balandin was among the 11 rowers whose doping tests were manipulated by the Moscow anti-doping laboratory and the Russian deputy minister of sport, as had been outlined in a damning report by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren published last week. The 19 rowers declared ineligible yesterday were because of non credible doping controls carried out in Moscow between 2012 and 2016. Russia's rowing federation said earlier Tuesday it would be appealing those three cases to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). And Russian rowing federation president Veniamin But slammed the decision to allow just six rowers to compete as a "humiliation". "This is a humiliation. I was in contact with the president of the International Federation and I am in shock, but we won't stop the battle," But told the R-Sport agency. "Our Olympic Committee is holding discussions with the IOC on our behalf. I'm waiting for the outcome of talks between the ROC (Russian Olympic Committee) and the IOC, we continue the battle. I think the final decision will be set out tomorrow." On Sunday the IOC ruled against a blanket ban on all Russian competitors in Rio, instead leaving it up to individual sports federations to decide on Russian athletes' eligibility. (AFP)

22 Russian rowers banned from Rio Games

Eleven weightlifters, including six medallists, produced positive samples in the second wave of doping retests from the 2012 London Olympics, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) said yesterday. 
 
Russia&#39;s five-times European champion Nataliya Zabolotnaya was among three silver medallists from the London Games to fail tests along with compatriots Alexandr Ivanov and Svetlana Tzarukaeva. 
 
Zabolotnaya finished second in the women&rsquo;s -75kg event in London, repeating her silver-medal performance in Athens eight years earlier. 
 
Ivanov was world champion in 2010 and 2013 in the -94kg category, while Tzarukaeva won the world title in 2011 in the 63kg event. 
 
Other London medallists to fail tests included Iryna Kulesha of Belarus, Armenia&rsquo;s Hripsime Khurshudyan and Moldova&rsquo;s Cristina Iovu. 
 
The IWF said the 11 athletes have all been provisionally suspended. 
 
All the athletes who tested positive were found to have used the banned anabolic steroid Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone. 
 
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Friday that 45 athletes had failed dope tests after their samples from the 2008 Beijing Olympics and London 2012 were reanalysed. 
 
The second wave of retests included 138 samples from London 2012, involving athletes from two sports and nine countries. The London 2012 retests produced 15 failures. 
 
(Reuters)

All the athletes who tested positive were found to have used a banned anabolic steroid

Eleven weightlifters, including six medallists, produced positive samples in the second wave of doping retests from the 2012 London Olympics, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) said yesterday. Russia's five-times European champion Nataliya Zabolotnaya was among three silver medallists from the London Games to fail tests along with compatriots Alexandr Ivanov and Svetlana Tzarukaeva. Zabolotnaya finished second in the women’s -75kg event in London, repeating her silver-medal performance in Athens eight years earlier. Ivanov was world champion in 2010 and 2013 in the -94kg category, while Tzarukaeva won the world title in 2011 in the 63kg event. Other London medallists to fail tests included Iryna Kulesha of Belarus, Armenia’s Hripsime Khurshudyan and Moldova’s Cristina Iovu. The IWF said the 11 athletes have all been provisionally suspended. All the athletes who tested positive were found to have used the banned anabolic steroid Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Friday that 45 athletes had failed dope tests after their samples from the 2008 Beijing Olympics and London 2012 were reanalysed. The second wave of retests included 138 samples from London 2012, involving athletes from two sports and nine countries. The London 2012 retests produced 15 failures. (Reuters)

Eleven London 2012 weightlifters test positive for doping, temporarily suspended

Kenya on Thursday was removed from the the World Anti-Doping Agency&#39;s (WADA) list of nations deemed &#39;non-compliant&#39; in their efforts to tackle doping after the Kenyan parliament introduced new legislation to punish drug cheats. 
 
Kenya&#39;s reputation has been tarnished by more than 40 doping cases in the last four years and at one point the East African nation&#39;s participation at the Rio Olympics, which start on Friday, was deemed to be in jeopardy. 
 
WADA in May put Kenya on its non-compliant list as an anti-doping law passed by the Kenyan parliament was not in line with WADA&#39;s own code. The government later amended the bill. 
 
&quot;Kenya has drafted and adopted anti-doping legislation now deemed to be in line with the Code,&quot; WADA said in a statement. 
 
It added that it had &quot;removed the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) from the list of signatories previously deemed non-compliant&quot;. 
 
Among the Kenyan athletes who failed drug tests are former Boston City Marathon and Chicago Marathon champion, Rita Jeptoo, and twice world cross-country champion Emily Chebet. 
 
(Reuters)

Kenya's reputation has been tarnished by more than 40 doping cases in last four years. It's Rio Olympics participation was also in jeopardy

Kenya on Thursday was removed from the the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) list of nations deemed 'non-compliant' in their efforts to tackle doping after the Kenyan parliament introduced new legislation to punish drug cheats. Kenya's reputation has been tarnished by more than 40 doping cases in the last four years and at one point the East African nation's participation at the Rio Olympics, which start on Friday, was deemed to be in jeopardy. WADA in May put Kenya on its non-compliant list as an anti-doping law passed by the Kenyan parliament was not in line with WADA's own code. The government later amended the bill. "Kenya has drafted and adopted anti-doping legislation now deemed to be in line with the Code," WADA said in a statement. It added that it had "removed the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) from the list of signatories previously deemed non-compliant". Among the Kenyan athletes who failed drug tests are former Boston City Marathon and Chicago Marathon champion, Rita Jeptoo, and twice world cross-country champion Emily Chebet. (Reuters)

Rio 2016: WADA removes Kenya from list of 'non-compliant' nations

Brazil&#39;s athletes were not subject to dope tests for almost a month before the Rio Olympics, the country&#39;s sports ministry has said while refuting allegations it was a political decision to ensure the games were not plunged further into crisis. 
 
Brazil&#39;s sports ministry confirmed no tests were carried out between July 1 and July 24 due to a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) suspension on a drug testing laboratory in Rio de Janeiro, The Times reported today. 
 
WADA said it was &quot;concerned&quot; and has sent a letter to Brazil&#39;s sports minister asking why the tests had been stopped. 
 
&quot;We sent a letter to the minister of sport and the executive director of the Brazilian national anti-doping agency, pressing our concerns and demanding to know why testing had been stopped in Brazil,&quot; WADA deputy director Rob Koehler told the newspaper. 
 
&quot;The response was not satisfactory... the explanation that it had come about due to the changing of the guard in the ministry and the agency was not acceptable to us. 
 
&quot;We informed the pre-Games task force and we told them to ramp up increased tests. It was unacceptable that it stopped. That was not a good move... the fact no testing was happening was a concern.&quot; 
 
South America&#39;s first Olympics have been mired in a drugs scandal with Russia&#39;s track-and-field athletes and weightlifters barred from the Rio Games over doping offences. 
 
The European country narrowly avoided a complete ban over allegations its government and FSB security service systematically covered up widespread cheating. 
 
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) chose not to impose a blanket ban on all Russian athletes but directed sports federations to allow them to compete if they met a set of criteria, including a clean doping past and sufficient testing at international events. 
 
Faced pressure from ministry, alleges Horta&nbsp; 
 
Luis Horta, the former head of Portugal&#39;s anti-doping agency who was given a role as an adviser to Brazil, alleged he faced pressure from the country&#39;s sports ministry and Olympic committee to reduce testing. 
 
A statement from Brazil&#39;s sports ministry refuted the allegations, while adding that three overseas laboratories were approached but were unable to help with the testing of samples. 
 
&quot;The Ministry of Sport and the Brazilian Doping Control Authority strongly refute the accusations made by Mr Horta,&quot; it said. 
 
&quot;With the suspension imposed by WADA to the laboratory on June 22, the tests planned for the period between 1 and 24 July were compromised (the suspension was only lifted on July 20), as analyses could not be submitted. 
 
&quot;Therefore, the planned tests ended up not being done in that period.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

'Brazil's sports ministry confirmed no tests were carried out between July 1 and July 24 due to a WADA suspension on drug testing lab'

Brazil's athletes were not subject to dope tests for almost a month before the Rio Olympics, the country's sports ministry has said while refuting allegations it was a political decision to ensure the games were not plunged further into crisis. Brazil's sports ministry confirmed no tests were carried out between July 1 and July 24 due to a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) suspension on a drug testing laboratory in Rio de Janeiro, The Times reported today. WADA said it was "concerned" and has sent a letter to Brazil's sports minister asking why the tests had been stopped. "We sent a letter to the minister of sport and the executive director of the Brazilian national anti-doping agency, pressing our concerns and demanding to know why testing had been stopped in Brazil," WADA deputy director Rob Koehler told the newspaper. "The response was not satisfactory... the explanation that it had come about due to the changing of the guard in the ministry and the agency was not acceptable to us. "We informed the pre-Games task force and we told them to ramp up increased tests. It was unacceptable that it stopped. That was not a good move... the fact no testing was happening was a concern." South America's first Olympics have been mired in a drugs scandal with Russia's track-and-field athletes and weightlifters barred from the Rio Games over doping offences. The European country narrowly avoided a complete ban over allegations its government and FSB security service systematically covered up widespread cheating. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) chose not to impose a blanket ban on all Russian athletes but directed sports federations to allow them to compete if they met a set of criteria, including a clean doping past and sufficient testing at international events. Faced pressure from ministry, alleges Horta Luis Horta, the former head of Portugal's anti-doping agency who was given a role as an adviser to Brazil, alleged he faced pressure from the country's sports ministry and Olympic committee to reduce testing. A statement from Brazil's sports ministry refuted the allegations, while adding that three overseas laboratories were approached but were unable to help with the testing of samples. "The Ministry of Sport and the Brazilian Doping Control Authority strongly refute the accusations made by Mr Horta," it said. "With the suspension imposed by WADA to the laboratory on June 22, the tests planned for the period between 1 and 24 July were compromised (the suspension was only lifted on July 20), as analyses could not be submitted. "Therefore, the planned tests ended up not being done in that period." (Reuters)

WADA questions why athletes were not dope-tested ahead of Rio 2016

UEFA has dismissed its doping case against France and Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho. 
 
&quot;The proceedings against Mr Sakho related to a violation of the UEFA anti-doping regulations after the player failed a doping test (in March),&quot; European football&#39;s ruling body said in a statement on Friday. 
 
&quot;Following a hearing with the lawyers of the player and experts of the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) accredited laboratories on this case, the CEDB (UEFA`s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body) has decided to dismiss the case.&quot; 
 
The 26-year-old Sakho was provisionally banned for 30 days after testing positive for an illegal substance following Liverpool&#39;s Europa League tie against Manchester United on March 17. 
 
Last month French sports daily L`Equipe reported the defender would be cleared to resume playing after UEFA decided not to extend the provisional suspension.&nbsp; 
 
Sakho&#39;s lawyers argued that a fat-burning drug used by the player was not on the list of banned substances, meaning he was not guilty of doping, L`Equipe said. 
 
If he had been found guilty of a drugs violation, he would have faced a ban of at least six months. 
 
With the case hanging over his head, Sakho was left out of the French Euro 2016 squad that has gone on to reach Sunday&#39;s final against Portugal. 
 
UEFA gave no immediate reason for its dismissal of the case.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Mamadou Sakho was provisionally banned for 30 days after testing positive for an illegal substance, following Europa League tie on March 17

UEFA has dismissed its doping case against France and Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho. "The proceedings against Mr Sakho related to a violation of the UEFA anti-doping regulations after the player failed a doping test (in March)," European football's ruling body said in a statement on Friday. "Following a hearing with the lawyers of the player and experts of the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) accredited laboratories on this case, the CEDB (UEFA`s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body) has decided to dismiss the case." The 26-year-old Sakho was provisionally banned for 30 days after testing positive for an illegal substance following Liverpool's Europa League tie against Manchester United on March 17. Last month French sports daily L`Equipe reported the defender would be cleared to resume playing after UEFA decided not to extend the provisional suspension. Sakho's lawyers argued that a fat-burning drug used by the player was not on the list of banned substances, meaning he was not guilty of doping, L`Equipe said. If he had been found guilty of a drugs violation, he would have faced a ban of at least six months. With the case hanging over his head, Sakho was left out of the French Euro 2016 squad that has gone on to reach Sunday's final against Portugal. UEFA gave no immediate reason for its dismissal of the case. (Reuters)

UEFA dismisses doping case against Sakho

Russia&#39;s Olympic Games weightlifting team was banned from the Rio Games on Friday in the latest doping-related blow to the sporting powerhouse. 
 
&quot;The integrity of the weightlifting sport has been seriously damaged on multiple times and levels by the Russians, therefore an appropriate sanction was applied in order to preserve the status of the sport,&quot; said a statement by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). 
 
There are now 117 Russian competitors banned from the Games - including 67 track and field athletes - from the 387 initially nominated by the Russian Olympic Committee. 
 
The eight weightlifters originally selected were Oleg Chen, Adam Maligov, Ruslan Albegov, David Bedzhanyan and Artem Okulov in the men`s competition and Tatiana Kashirina, Tima Turieva and Anastasia Romanova in the women&#39;s. 
 
Okulov is a world champion while at the London Games in 2012, Albegov claimed a bronze medal and Kashirina took home a silver. 
Kashirina and Romanova both had their nominations withdrawn by the Russian Olympic Committee due to prior anti-doping rule violations, added the IWF statement. 
 
Four others were listed in the bombshell McLaren report which exposed widespread state-sponsored doping in Russia. 
 
In the aftermath of that report, the International Olympic Committee resisted huge pressure to impose a blanket ban on Russia from the Olympics which get underway on August 5. 
 
Instead, they asked individual federations to make the call on who should be cleared for the Games. 
 
&quot;Under these exceptional circumstances, Russian athletes in any of the 28 Olympic summer sports have to assume the consequences of what amounts to a collective responsibility in order to protect the credibility of the Olympic competitions, and the `presumption of innocence` cannot be applied to them,&quot; added the IWF. 
 
&quot;On the other hand, according to the rules of natural justice, individual justice, to which every human being is entitled, has to be applied. This means that each affected athlete must be given the opportunity to rebut the applicability of collective responsibility in his or her individual case.&quot; 
 
The IWF in highlighting &quot;the extremely shocking and disappointing statistics regarding the Russian weightlifters&quot; added that seven dope tests being re-examined from the 2008 and 2012 Olympics have returned positive results. 
 
The McLaren report found that the Moscow laboratory at the centre of Russia&#39;s state-sponsored doping programme hid 117 positive weightlifting tests over a four-year period -- a figure second only to track and field. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The International Weightlifting Federation said some of the athletes had been named in a report which exposed state-backed doping in Russia

Russia's Olympic Games weightlifting team was banned from the Rio Games on Friday in the latest doping-related blow to the sporting powerhouse. "The integrity of the weightlifting sport has been seriously damaged on multiple times and levels by the Russians, therefore an appropriate sanction was applied in order to preserve the status of the sport," said a statement by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). There are now 117 Russian competitors banned from the Games - including 67 track and field athletes - from the 387 initially nominated by the Russian Olympic Committee. The eight weightlifters originally selected were Oleg Chen, Adam Maligov, Ruslan Albegov, David Bedzhanyan and Artem Okulov in the men`s competition and Tatiana Kashirina, Tima Turieva and Anastasia Romanova in the women's. Okulov is a world champion while at the London Games in 2012, Albegov claimed a bronze medal and Kashirina took home a silver. Kashirina and Romanova both had their nominations withdrawn by the Russian Olympic Committee due to prior anti-doping rule violations, added the IWF statement. Four others were listed in the bombshell McLaren report which exposed widespread state-sponsored doping in Russia. In the aftermath of that report, the International Olympic Committee resisted huge pressure to impose a blanket ban on Russia from the Olympics which get underway on August 5. Instead, they asked individual federations to make the call on who should be cleared for the Games. "Under these exceptional circumstances, Russian athletes in any of the 28 Olympic summer sports have to assume the consequences of what amounts to a collective responsibility in order to protect the credibility of the Olympic competitions, and the `presumption of innocence` cannot be applied to them," added the IWF. "On the other hand, according to the rules of natural justice, individual justice, to which every human being is entitled, has to be applied. This means that each affected athlete must be given the opportunity to rebut the applicability of collective responsibility in his or her individual case." The IWF in highlighting "the extremely shocking and disappointing statistics regarding the Russian weightlifters" added that seven dope tests being re-examined from the 2008 and 2012 Olympics have returned positive results. The McLaren report found that the Moscow laboratory at the centre of Russia's state-sponsored doping programme hid 117 positive weightlifting tests over a four-year period -- a figure second only to track and field. (AFP)

Russian weightlifting team barred from Rio Games

Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav&#39;s allegations of &#39;sabotage&#39; after failing a dope test gained grounds but his Olympic hopes receded further with the country protectively naming a replacement for him at next month&#39;s Rio Games. 
 
The United Wrestling Federation (UWF) has confirmed in a statement that Parveen Rana will compete in men&#39;s 74kg freestyle at Rio, replacing Yadav whose samples from an out-of-competition test returned positive for a banned steroid. Yadav has lodged a police complaint against a junior wrestler accusing him of contaminating his food at the Sports Authority of India training centre in Sonepat. 
 
&quot;We at the federation also believe that he has been a victim of conspiracy and the person behind it has also been identified,&quot; Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) assistant secretary Vinod Tomar told Reuters. 
 
&quot;The UWF gave us time until July 25 to announce a replacement or vacate the qualification spot.&nbsp;So the immediate task was to protect the spot. If we did not name a replacement, even Narsingh, provided he gets a clean chit, won&#39;t be able to compete at Rio. At least, we are now sure of sending someone in the event.&quot; 
 
Yadav secured India a berth at the Games by winning a bronze medal at last year&#39;s world championships in Las Vegas.&nbsp;The 26-year-old, however, had his Olympic berth in jeopardy when Sushil Kumar, who won bronze in the 66kg category in Beijing in 2008 and silver in London, moved up a weight and sought a court order for a bout between the pair to determine who should go to Rio. 
 
Last month, the Delhi High Court ruled against Kumar, the only Indian athlete to win two individual Olympic medals, clearing the way for Yadav to compete in Rio. Yadav was provided police security, a rare measure for an Indian athlete, at the Sonepat training centre due to possible threats to his life. 
 
Asked if it meant end of Yadav&#39;s dreams to compete at Rio, Tomar said, &quot;If he manages to get a clean chit from NADA, we&#39;d approach the governing body to allow him to compete there.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Narsingh Yadav's samples from an out-of-competition test returned positive for a banned steroid

Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav's allegations of 'sabotage' after failing a dope test gained grounds but his Olympic hopes receded further with the country protectively naming a replacement for him at next month's Rio Games. The United Wrestling Federation (UWF) has confirmed in a statement that Parveen Rana will compete in men's 74kg freestyle at Rio, replacing Yadav whose samples from an out-of-competition test returned positive for a banned steroid. Yadav has lodged a police complaint against a junior wrestler accusing him of contaminating his food at the Sports Authority of India training centre in Sonepat. "We at the federation also believe that he has been a victim of conspiracy and the person behind it has also been identified," Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) assistant secretary Vinod Tomar told Reuters. "The UWF gave us time until July 25 to announce a replacement or vacate the qualification spot. So the immediate task was to protect the spot. If we did not name a replacement, even Narsingh, provided he gets a clean chit, won't be able to compete at Rio. At least, we are now sure of sending someone in the event." Yadav secured India a berth at the Games by winning a bronze medal at last year's world championships in Las Vegas. The 26-year-old, however, had his Olympic berth in jeopardy when Sushil Kumar, who won bronze in the 66kg category in Beijing in 2008 and silver in London, moved up a weight and sought a court order for a bout between the pair to determine who should go to Rio. Last month, the Delhi High Court ruled against Kumar, the only Indian athlete to win two individual Olympic medals, clearing the way for Yadav to compete in Rio. Yadav was provided police security, a rare measure for an Indian athlete, at the Sonepat training centre due to possible threats to his life. Asked if it meant end of Yadav's dreams to compete at Rio, Tomar said, "If he manages to get a clean chit from NADA, we'd approach the governing body to allow him to compete there." (Reuters)

India names Parveen Rana as Rio replacement for wrestler Narsingh Yadav

President Vladimir Putin said a shadowy political plot had succeeded in unfairly stripping some Russian sportspeople of the right to compete at the Rio Olympics over doping allegations and promised to defend Russia&#39;s tarnished sporting reputation. 
 
Addressing members of Russia&#39;s Olympic team in the Kremlin today, Putin said a decision by global sporting organisations to ban Russian track-and-field athletes and sportspeople in everything from swimming to rowing flew in the face of common sense and legality. 
 
&quot;The deliberate campaign targeting our athletes was characterised by so-called double standards and opted for the idea of collective responsibility, which is not compatible with sport, justice, or the basic norms of law,&quot; said Putin. &quot;It is an attempt to apply the rules which unfortunately dominate in geopolitics to the sporting world,&quot; he said, hitting out at what he called &quot;short-sighted political schemers.&quot; 
 
With Russia months away from parliamentary elections and stuck in an economic crisis, the scandal, which centres on allegations the Russian government and the FSB security service covered up doping for years, has rocked the Russian sports world and tarnished Putin&#39;s showcase 2014 winter Olympics. 
 
But his tactic of pinning the blame on a shadowy plot, which he has previously suggested emanates in the West, taps into voters&#39; patriotism and analysts say the imbroglio is unlikely to hurt his stratospheric ratings. 
 
Putin, a keen practitioner of judo and ice hockey, made his comments to over 100 sportspeople, some of whom have been banned from going to the Rio Games next month because of doping allegations by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and other federations. 
 
He spoke after the IAAF said there were &quot;no grounds for further review&quot; of its original decision. Occasionally looking glassy-eyed and emotional, Putin complained that many of those prevented from going had not been served with specific or proven doping accusations. 
 
&quot;It is obvious that the absence of Russian sportspeople, leaders in many sporting disciplines, will significantly affect the intensity of the competition and diminish the spectator value of the forthcoming events,&quot; said Putin. 
 
Any medal won in Rio in the absence of Russian athletes would be worth much less than usual, he added, predicting many victories would be hollow. Pledging tough action against any sportspeople guilty of doping as well as the creation of a system to prevent the practice, Putin said someone was trying to rewrite the Olympics&#39; founding principles, of equality, fairness and mutual respect. 
 
The atmosphere at the meeting, held in a glittering hall in the Kremlin, was sombre. Double Olympic champion pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva, one of the athletes unable to attend Rio because of the scandal, became emotional when she spoke after Putin, saying her Olympic dream and that of others had been stolen. 
 
Putin said Russians excelled in the face of adversity. &quot;There is an important and wonderful quality about the Russian character,&quot; said Putin. &quot;Difficulties only unite us and make us stronger,&quot; he added. 
 
(Reuters)

Putin complained that many athletes prevented from going to Rio had not been served with specific or proven doping accusations

President Vladimir Putin said a shadowy political plot had succeeded in unfairly stripping some Russian sportspeople of the right to compete at the Rio Olympics over doping allegations and promised to defend Russia's tarnished sporting reputation. Addressing members of Russia's Olympic team in the Kremlin today, Putin said a decision by global sporting organisations to ban Russian track-and-field athletes and sportspeople in everything from swimming to rowing flew in the face of common sense and legality. "The deliberate campaign targeting our athletes was characterised by so-called double standards and opted for the idea of collective responsibility, which is not compatible with sport, justice, or the basic norms of law," said Putin. "It is an attempt to apply the rules which unfortunately dominate in geopolitics to the sporting world," he said, hitting out at what he called "short-sighted political schemers." With Russia months away from parliamentary elections and stuck in an economic crisis, the scandal, which centres on allegations the Russian government and the FSB security service covered up doping for years, has rocked the Russian sports world and tarnished Putin's showcase 2014 winter Olympics. But his tactic of pinning the blame on a shadowy plot, which he has previously suggested emanates in the West, taps into voters' patriotism and analysts say the imbroglio is unlikely to hurt his stratospheric ratings. Putin, a keen practitioner of judo and ice hockey, made his comments to over 100 sportspeople, some of whom have been banned from going to the Rio Games next month because of doping allegations by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and other federations. He spoke after the IAAF said there were "no grounds for further review" of its original decision. Occasionally looking glassy-eyed and emotional, Putin complained that many of those prevented from going had not been served with specific or proven doping accusations. "It is obvious that the absence of Russian sportspeople, leaders in many sporting disciplines, will significantly affect the intensity of the competition and diminish the spectator value of the forthcoming events," said Putin. Any medal won in Rio in the absence of Russian athletes would be worth much less than usual, he added, predicting many victories would be hollow. Pledging tough action against any sportspeople guilty of doping as well as the creation of a system to prevent the practice, Putin said someone was trying to rewrite the Olympics' founding principles, of equality, fairness and mutual respect. The atmosphere at the meeting, held in a glittering hall in the Kremlin, was sombre. Double Olympic champion pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva, one of the athletes unable to attend Rio because of the scandal, became emotional when she spoke after Putin, saying her Olympic dream and that of others had been stolen. Putin said Russians excelled in the face of adversity. "There is an important and wonderful quality about the Russian character," said Putin. "Difficulties only unite us and make us stronger," he added. (Reuters)

Russia's Putin says expelled athletes target of political plot

Canoeing&#39;s governing body has banned five Russians, including a gold medallist and a five-times world champion, from next month&#39;s Rio Olympics after an explosive independent report revealed state-run doping across Russian sport. 
 
&quot;We are clear that if you step out of line you won`t make the start line,&quot; International Canoe Federation secretary general Simon Toulson said, as canoeing became the latest sport to bar Russians from the Games in the fall-out over the roiling doping controversy. 
 
Their exclusion takes the number of Russians banned from taking part in Rio to 18 since Sunday when the International Olympic Committee decided not to issue a blanket ban on all Russian competitors, instead leaving it up to each sport to decide what to do. 
 
&quot;The International Canoe Federation (ICF) has taken swift action to remove five Russian canoe sprint athletes from the Rio Olympic Games following the release of additional information naming those implicated by the McLaren report,&quot; the ICF said. 
 
&quot;In each case the ICF will impose an immediate suspension pending further investigation making the offending athletes ineligible to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.&quot; 
 
The five were named as Elena Aniushina, Natalia Podolskaya, Alexander Dyachenko, Andrey Kraitor and Alexey Korovashkov. 
 
Korovashkov, a five-times world champion, won a bronze medal in London four years ago and Dyachenko won gold in a doubles kayak sprint. 
 
The Olympics begin on August 5. 
 
(AFP)

Their exclusion takes the number of Russians banned from taking part in Rio to 18 since Sunday after IOC decided not to issue blanket ban

Canoeing's governing body has banned five Russians, including a gold medallist and a five-times world champion, from next month's Rio Olympics after an explosive independent report revealed state-run doping across Russian sport. "We are clear that if you step out of line you won`t make the start line," International Canoe Federation secretary general Simon Toulson said, as canoeing became the latest sport to bar Russians from the Games in the fall-out over the roiling doping controversy. Their exclusion takes the number of Russians banned from taking part in Rio to 18 since Sunday when the International Olympic Committee decided not to issue a blanket ban on all Russian competitors, instead leaving it up to each sport to decide what to do. "The International Canoe Federation (ICF) has taken swift action to remove five Russian canoe sprint athletes from the Rio Olympic Games following the release of additional information naming those implicated by the McLaren report," the ICF said. "In each case the ICF will impose an immediate suspension pending further investigation making the offending athletes ineligible to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games." The five were named as Elena Aniushina, Natalia Podolskaya, Alexander Dyachenko, Andrey Kraitor and Alexey Korovashkov. Korovashkov, a five-times world champion, won a bronze medal in London four years ago and Dyachenko won gold in a doubles kayak sprint. The Olympics begin on August 5. (AFP)

Five Russian canoers, including five-times world champion Korovashkov, banned from Rio

Indian shot putter Inderjeet Singh said on today that he has been notified by the national anti-doping agency (NADA) that he has returned a positive test for banned substances in his A sample.

Inderjeet, who won gold medal at the Asian Athletics Championships in 2015, told local television he had been informed of the test late on Monday and that all his earlier tests had been negative.

Navin Agarwal, the director general of NADA, told Reuters an athlete&#39;s A sample had tested positive.

&quot;The athlete has been notified and given the right to get his B Sample tested,&quot; he said, without identifying the athlete. 
 
(Reuters)

National anti-doping agency has returned a positive test for banned substances in Inderjeet's A sample

Indian shot putter Inderjeet Singh said on today that he has been notified by the national anti-doping agency (NADA) that he has returned a positive test for banned substances in his A sample. Inderjeet, who won gold medal at the Asian Athletics Championships in 2015, told local television he had been informed of the test late on Monday and that all his earlier tests had been negative. Navin Agarwal, the director general of NADA, told Reuters an athlete's A sample had tested positive. "The athlete has been notified and given the right to get his B Sample tested," he said, without identifying the athlete. (Reuters)

Indian shot putter Inderjeet Singh fails doping test

After reports of Narsingh Yadav failing doping test surfaced on Sunday, his roommate Sandeep Yadav, in a latest development, has also been reported to have failed the test conducted by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). 
 
The two wrestlers are roommates at the Sports Authority of India, Sonepat, according to zeenews.com. Narsingh, who tested positive for a banned steroid in the &#39;B&#39; sample, appeared in front of the NADA disciplinary panel on Saturday. Both of them tested positive in methandienone, an anabolic steroid, the tests of which were conducted on June 25.
<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I am doing so well, why would I even take banned steroids? : Narsingh Yadav
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/757489324447371264">July 25, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div>
 
While Narsingh had won a long legal battle against Sushil Kumar to be a part of Rio 2016 squad, Sandeep was not selected in the Indian contingent. Narsingh&#39;s Rio dreams, however, look over as the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) have reportedly withheld his accreditation card. 
&nbsp;
<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I should be sent to Rio Olympics and hope this will be sorted out soon. I have written to federation,want justice: Narsingh Yadav
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/757490070966378496">July 25, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div>
 
 
 
The WFI team has postponed their preparatory camp trip to Georgia, which was supposed to leave on Monday. If found guilty, Narsingh&#39;s absence at Rio will be a huge blow to India as the final date to send the list of athletes participating in Olympics was July 18, leaving no chance for a replacement in the 74 kilogram category. 
 
(DNA)

Sandeep can't make it to Rio anyway, but his roommate Narsingh's Olympics hopes appear to be over

After reports of Narsingh Yadav failing doping test surfaced on Sunday, his roommate Sandeep Yadav, in a latest development, has also been reported to have failed the test conducted by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). The two wrestlers are roommates at the Sports Authority of India, Sonepat, according to zeenews.com. Narsingh, who tested positive for a banned steroid in the 'B' sample, appeared in front of the NADA disciplinary panel on Saturday. Both of them tested positive in methandienone, an anabolic steroid, the tests of which were conducted on June 25. I am doing so well, why would I even take banned steroids? : Narsingh Yadav — ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2016 While Narsingh had won a long legal battle against Sushil Kumar to be a part of Rio 2016 squad, Sandeep was not selected in the Indian contingent. Narsingh's Rio dreams, however, look over as the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) have reportedly withheld his accreditation card. I should be sent to Rio Olympics and hope this will be sorted out soon. I have written to federation,want justice: Narsingh Yadav — ANI (@ANI_news) July 25, 2016 The WFI team has postponed their preparatory camp trip to Georgia, which was supposed to leave on Monday. If found guilty, Narsingh's absence at Rio will be a huge blow to India as the final date to send the list of athletes participating in Olympics was July 18, leaving no chance for a replacement in the 74 kilogram category. (DNA)

Wrestlers Narsingh and Sandeep Yadav both fail Olympic doping test

Russian Yulia Efimova, who has been banned from competing at next month&#39;s Rio Olympics by swimming&#39;s international governing body FINA, will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), her agent said yesterday. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve taken the decision to appeal to CAS. The opponent will be the International Olympic Committee, FINA and the Russian Olympic Committee,&quot; Efimova&#39;s agent Andrei Mitkov told R-Sport. 
 
FINA yesterday banned seven Russians, including 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Efimova, from competing in Rio in the fall-out from Russia&#39;s rampant state-run doping. 
 
FINA was the first sport to impose bans in light of Sunday&#39;s International Olympic Committee (IOC) decision, which ruled against a blanket ban on all Russian competitors in Rio, instead leaving it up to individual sports federations to decide whether to accept Russians. 
 
Vladimir Morozov and Nikita Lobintsev, both 4x100m freestyle bronze-medal winners with the Russian team at the 2012 Olympics, and Efimova, who won bronze in the 200m breaststroke in London, were among the seven banned. 
 
Efimova had been provisionally suspended by FINA in March after testing positive for the banned drug meldonium, which has been prohibited since January. 
 
FINA lifted Efimova&#39;s suspension in May after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said that athletes could escape a ban because it does not know exactly how long it takes for meldonium to leave the body. 
 
The 24-year-old is also four-time world champion in the breaststroke. 
 
(AFP)

International Swimming Federation yesterday banned seven Russians from competing in Rio Olympics after Russia's state-run doping was exposed

Russian Yulia Efimova, who has been banned from competing at next month's Rio Olympics by swimming's international governing body FINA, will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), her agent said yesterday. "We've taken the decision to appeal to CAS. The opponent will be the International Olympic Committee, FINA and the Russian Olympic Committee," Efimova's agent Andrei Mitkov told R-Sport. FINA yesterday banned seven Russians, including 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Efimova, from competing in Rio in the fall-out from Russia's rampant state-run doping. FINA was the first sport to impose bans in light of Sunday's International Olympic Committee (IOC) decision, which ruled against a blanket ban on all Russian competitors in Rio, instead leaving it up to individual sports federations to decide whether to accept Russians. Vladimir Morozov and Nikita Lobintsev, both 4x100m freestyle bronze-medal winners with the Russian team at the 2012 Olympics, and Efimova, who won bronze in the 200m breaststroke in London, were among the seven banned. Efimova had been provisionally suspended by FINA in March after testing positive for the banned drug meldonium, which has been prohibited since January. FINA lifted Efimova's suspension in May after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said that athletes could escape a ban because it does not know exactly how long it takes for meldonium to leave the body. The 24-year-old is also four-time world champion in the breaststroke. (AFP)

Russian swimmer Efimova to appeal Rio ban to Sport Arbitration Court

Russia insisted today that it expects to avoid a blanket ban from the IOC on its competitors at the Rio Olympics despite its track and field squad losing an appeal over a suspension for state-sponsored doping. 
 
&quot;All sportsmen who have not been convicted or are not under suspicion of doping should have the right to compete. That is the decision we are counting on,&quot; Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. 
 
The International Olympic Committee&#39;s executive board are to hold a conference call on Sunday to discuss banning Russia from the Rio Games starting on August 5. 
 
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday ruled against Russia&#39;s athletes in a decision seen as a key indicator as the IOC debates whether to kick out the whole Russian team. 
 
The IOC is facing international pressure to act tough on Russia and ban the entire team over bombshell revelations of a state-run doping system that has seen the country cheat its way to victory. 
 
Fourteen national anti-doping agencies including the United States, Canada and Germany sent a joint letter to IOC President Thomas Bach on Thursday urging him to ban Russia from Rio. 
 
Officials in Moscow have slammed the decision by CAS to reject its appeal against a ban from the world athletics body IAAF, calling it part of a broader political campaign by the West against Russia. 
 
The suspension of the track and field team already means that star athletes like pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva and hurdler Sergey Shubenkov will not be in Rio. 
 
Isinbayeva who has threatened to call time on her career over the ban slammed the CAS ruling as a &quot;funeral for athletics.&quot; 
 
Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko who has clung on despite the scandal said Moscow now hopes the IOC will defer to individual international sporting federations to decide whether other Russian squads can compete. 
 
Cold War 
 
The CAS ruling has been the focus of Olympic attention since an independent WADA report this week said Russia ran a &quot;state-dictated failsafe system&quot; of drug cheating in 30 sports at the 2014 Sochi Games and other major events. 
 
But Russia has found support from some international sports bodies, with the International Judo Federation (IJF) insisting all clean athletes should be allowed to take part in Rio. 
 
&quot;We hope that by allowing participation of Russian athletes in Rio 2016, we will send out a positive message to all the young people who deserve to be given examples of friendship instead of examples of Cold War,&quot; said IJF president Marius Vizer. 
 
Individual Russian federations said they were now looking nervously ahead for the IOC to make its next move. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re all in suspense waiting for the IOC decision,&quot; wrestling federation president Mikhail Mamiashvili told AFP. 
 
&quot;I hope that the common sense and personal responsibility of those who will take the decision will prevail.&quot; 
 
The IAAF banned all of the Russian track and field team over allegations of state-sponsored doping but said athletes who prove they were not tainted by their country&#39;s corrupt system could be cleared. 
 
The IAAF has only gave permission for one Russian team member to compete as a neutral is US-based long jumper Darya Klishina to compete in Rio. 
 
The IOC has appeared to back the principle that international sporting federations could clear individual athletes in case of a blanket ban but with just two weeks to go until Rio time is slipping away. 
 
The Russian press had widely predicted that CAS would decide against Moscow and reaction was a mixture of soul-searching and criticism over systemic failings. 
 
&quot;They accused us of setting up a system in the country based on doping and we didn&#39;t react at all to these accusations,&quot; wrote daily Sovietsky Sport. &quot;That&#39;s why they&#39;re banning us.&quot; 
 
&quot;Alas, everything that is happening with our sports is the fruit of our own errors,&quot; a column in usually pro-Kremlin tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda said, citing years of mismanagement. 
 
&quot;It is far from certain that even the current apocalyptic storm will force us to change our sport. Maybe only if the IOC buries our team on Sunday.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

International Olympic Committee's executive board are to hold a conference call on Sunday to discuss banning Russia from the Rio Games

Russia insisted today that it expects to avoid a blanket ban from the IOC on its competitors at the Rio Olympics despite its track and field squad losing an appeal over a suspension for state-sponsored doping. "All sportsmen who have not been convicted or are not under suspicion of doping should have the right to compete. That is the decision we are counting on," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. The International Olympic Committee's executive board are to hold a conference call on Sunday to discuss banning Russia from the Rio Games starting on August 5. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday ruled against Russia's athletes in a decision seen as a key indicator as the IOC debates whether to kick out the whole Russian team. The IOC is facing international pressure to act tough on Russia and ban the entire team over bombshell revelations of a state-run doping system that has seen the country cheat its way to victory. Fourteen national anti-doping agencies including the United States, Canada and Germany sent a joint letter to IOC President Thomas Bach on Thursday urging him to ban Russia from Rio. Officials in Moscow have slammed the decision by CAS to reject its appeal against a ban from the world athletics body IAAF, calling it part of a broader political campaign by the West against Russia. The suspension of the track and field team already means that star athletes like pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva and hurdler Sergey Shubenkov will not be in Rio. Isinbayeva who has threatened to call time on her career over the ban slammed the CAS ruling as a "funeral for athletics." Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko who has clung on despite the scandal said Moscow now hopes the IOC will defer to individual international sporting federations to decide whether other Russian squads can compete. Cold War The CAS ruling has been the focus of Olympic attention since an independent WADA report this week said Russia ran a "state-dictated failsafe system" of drug cheating in 30 sports at the 2014 Sochi Games and other major events. But Russia has found support from some international sports bodies, with the International Judo Federation (IJF) insisting all clean athletes should be allowed to take part in Rio. "We hope that by allowing participation of Russian athletes in Rio 2016, we will send out a positive message to all the young people who deserve to be given examples of friendship instead of examples of Cold War," said IJF president Marius Vizer. Individual Russian federations said they were now looking nervously ahead for the IOC to make its next move. "We're all in suspense waiting for the IOC decision," wrestling federation president Mikhail Mamiashvili told AFP. "I hope that the common sense and personal responsibility of those who will take the decision will prevail." The IAAF banned all of the Russian track and field team over allegations of state-sponsored doping but said athletes who prove they were not tainted by their country's corrupt system could be cleared. The IAAF has only gave permission for one Russian team member to compete as a neutral is US-based long jumper Darya Klishina to compete in Rio. The IOC has appeared to back the principle that international sporting federations could clear individual athletes in case of a blanket ban but with just two weeks to go until Rio time is slipping away. The Russian press had widely predicted that CAS would decide against Moscow and reaction was a mixture of soul-searching and criticism over systemic failings. "They accused us of setting up a system in the country based on doping and we didn't react at all to these accusations," wrote daily Sovietsky Sport. "That's why they're banning us." "Alas, everything that is happening with our sports is the fruit of our own errors," a column in usually pro-Kremlin tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda said, citing years of mismanagement. "It is far from certain that even the current apocalyptic storm will force us to change our sport. Maybe only if the IOC buries our team on Sunday." (AFP)

Russia braces for IOC ruling after CAS bans athletics squad

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on Wednesday reinstated credentials of a drug testing laboratory in Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic Games, ending a month-long suspension that had threatened to embarrass the host country. 
 
The decision avoided a backup scheme to send blood and urine samples from Olympic athletes to labs outside Brazil during the Games. 
 
Similar steps were taken after the same lab at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro lost its credentials for the 2014 World Cup, also held in Brazil. 
 
The agency did not explain how the lab had failed to comply with international standards in June or what steps had been taken to fix the situation. 
 
Technical errors leading to false results were likely the cause of the suspension, a source familiar with the decision told Reuters in June. 
 
&quot;Athletes can be confident that anti-doping sample analysis has been robust throughout the laboratory&#39;s suspension and that it will also be during the Games,&quot; WADA director general Olivier Niggli said in a statement. 
 
The suspension just weeks ahead of the Olympics was a high-profile black eye for the lab, in which Brazil recently invested 188 million reais ($58 million) for new equipment and facilities. 
 
Doping is a major concern ahead of the Rio Games on Aug. 5-21, the first Olympics to be held in South America. 
 
Several anti-doping agencies are pushing to ban Russian athletes after charges of state-backed doping at the 2014 winter Olympics. 
 
(Reuters)

WADA had suspended credentials of the laboratory on June 24 for failing to comply with international standards

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on Wednesday reinstated credentials of a drug testing laboratory in Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic Games, ending a month-long suspension that had threatened to embarrass the host country. The decision avoided a backup scheme to send blood and urine samples from Olympic athletes to labs outside Brazil during the Games. Similar steps were taken after the same lab at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro lost its credentials for the 2014 World Cup, also held in Brazil. The agency did not explain how the lab had failed to comply with international standards in June or what steps had been taken to fix the situation. Technical errors leading to false results were likely the cause of the suspension, a source familiar with the decision told Reuters in June. "Athletes can be confident that anti-doping sample analysis has been robust throughout the laboratory's suspension and that it will also be during the Games," WADA director general Olivier Niggli said in a statement. The suspension just weeks ahead of the Olympics was a high-profile black eye for the lab, in which Brazil recently invested 188 million reais ($58 million) for new equipment and facilities. Doping is a major concern ahead of the Rio Games on Aug. 5-21, the first Olympics to be held in South America. Several anti-doping agencies are pushing to ban Russian athletes after charges of state-backed doping at the 2014 winter Olympics. (Reuters)

Rio drug lab recertified for Olympic testing

Soccer&#39;s world ruling body FIFA has promised &quot;appropriate steps&quot; after a report on Monday said a dozen positive doping cases in Russian football were among hundreds covered up by Moscow. 
 
However, FIFA did not comment directly on allegations in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report that Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, who sits on its supervisory FIFA Council, had ordered the cover-up in the cases of the footballers. 
 
The independent WADA report, which followed an investigation led by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren, concentrated on allegations of systematic doping by Russian athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. 
 
It said that Moscow had concealed hundreds of positive doping cases from a variety of sports, including soccer, in the run-up to the games. 
 
&quot;FIFA will request from WADA all details concerning the individual cases of doping in Russian football that are referred in the McClaren report,&quot; FIFA said in a statement to Reuters. 
 
&quot;Once FIFA receives this information from WADA, it will take the appropriate next steps.&quot; 
 
The report said that Russian Deputy Sports Minister Yuri Nagornykh had decided which athletes would benefit from a cover-up, known as a SAVE order, although Mutko appeared to make the decision with regard to footballers. 
 
&quot;The (chief investigator) is aware of at least one foreign footballer playing in the Russian League who had that benefit of a SAVE order,&quot; it said. 
 
&quot;That SAVE decision was made by Minister Mutko and not Deputy Minister Nagornykh.&quot; 
 
Eleven Russian footballers also benefited from a cover-up after failing a doping test, the report said. 
 
&quot;Email evidence available... shows that the SAVE decision for the football players was the final decision of &#39;VL&#39;. VL is the first name and patronymic name initials of the Minister of Sport, Vitaly Leontiyevich Mutko.&quot; 
 
Mutko, president of the organising committee for the 2018 World Cup which will be hosted by Russia, has not commented since the release of the McLaren report. 
 
However, when the same allegations were made in June by German broadcaster ARD/WDR, he described them as &quot;silly&quot; and said that he and Russia were being smeared as payback for winning the right to host the 2018 World Cup. 
 
Asked bout Mutko&#39;s situation, FIFA said &quot;the Ethics Committee is an independent body of FIFA and only it can decide what actions to take in respect to this issue.&quot; 
 
The ethics committee could not immediately be reached for comment. 
 
(Reuters)

The report said a dozen doping cases in Russian football were among hundreds covered up by Moscow

Soccer's world ruling body FIFA has promised "appropriate steps" after a report on Monday said a dozen positive doping cases in Russian football were among hundreds covered up by Moscow. However, FIFA did not comment directly on allegations in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report that Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, who sits on its supervisory FIFA Council, had ordered the cover-up in the cases of the footballers. The independent WADA report, which followed an investigation led by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren, concentrated on allegations of systematic doping by Russian athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. It said that Moscow had concealed hundreds of positive doping cases from a variety of sports, including soccer, in the run-up to the games. "FIFA will request from WADA all details concerning the individual cases of doping in Russian football that are referred in the McClaren report," FIFA said in a statement to Reuters. "Once FIFA receives this information from WADA, it will take the appropriate next steps." The report said that Russian Deputy Sports Minister Yuri Nagornykh had decided which athletes would benefit from a cover-up, known as a SAVE order, although Mutko appeared to make the decision with regard to footballers. "The (chief investigator) is aware of at least one foreign footballer playing in the Russian League who had that benefit of a SAVE order," it said. "That SAVE decision was made by Minister Mutko and not Deputy Minister Nagornykh." Eleven Russian footballers also benefited from a cover-up after failing a doping test, the report said. "Email evidence available... shows that the SAVE decision for the football players was the final decision of 'VL'. VL is the first name and patronymic name initials of the Minister of Sport, Vitaly Leontiyevich Mutko." Mutko, president of the organising committee for the 2018 World Cup which will be hosted by Russia, has not commented since the release of the McLaren report. However, when the same allegations were made in June by German broadcaster ARD/WDR, he described them as "silly" and said that he and Russia were being smeared as payback for winning the right to host the 2018 World Cup. Asked bout Mutko's situation, FIFA said "the Ethics Committee is an independent body of FIFA and only it can decide what actions to take in respect to this issue." The ethics committee could not immediately be reached for comment. (Reuters)

FIFA promises 'appropriate steps' after WADA report on doping in Russia

Russia&#39;s scandal-mired sports minister said today that four more officials have been suspended over allegations of state-run doping as the International Olympic Committee weighs banning the country from the Rio Games. 
 
Vitaly Mutko told R-Sport news agency that his adviser, Natalya Zhelanova, senior sporting officials, Avak Abalyan and Irina Rodionova, and Moscow anti-doping laboratory deputy head, Yury Chizov, were all temporarily suspended after being named in a bombshell report released on Monday. 
 
A damning report commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) detailed an elaborate cheating scheme run by the sports ministry that affected 30 sports with help from the FSB state intelligence agency. 
 
The Kremlin on Monday pledged to suspend all those implicated and deputy sports minister Yury Nagornykh, described as the point man for running the programme, became the first head to roll. 
 
The WADA probe by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren quoted Russian whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov as saying it was &quot;inconceivable&quot; that Mutko did not know about the whole doping system. 
 
But the Kremlin has said that it is sticking by Mutko and he insisted that there &quot;were not and cannot be any allegations directed against me&quot;. 
 
&quot;Everything the minister does is always connected only with the fight against doping,&quot; he told R-Sport. 
 
In connection with the report, WADA also called on FIFA to investigate Mutko, a member of the football world body&#39;s executive, over drug failures in football. 
 
While it found no smoking gun directly linking Mutko to the broader programme to protect drug cheats it said Mutko took the decision to cover up the doping case of a foreign player in the Russian football league. 
 
(AFP)

Vitaly Mutko said his adviser, along with two sporting officials and Moscow anti-doping laboratory deputy head, were temporarily suspended

Russia's scandal-mired sports minister said today that four more officials have been suspended over allegations of state-run doping as the International Olympic Committee weighs banning the country from the Rio Games. Vitaly Mutko told R-Sport news agency that his adviser, Natalya Zhelanova, senior sporting officials, Avak Abalyan and Irina Rodionova, and Moscow anti-doping laboratory deputy head, Yury Chizov, were all temporarily suspended after being named in a bombshell report released on Monday. A damning report commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) detailed an elaborate cheating scheme run by the sports ministry that affected 30 sports with help from the FSB state intelligence agency. The Kremlin on Monday pledged to suspend all those implicated and deputy sports minister Yury Nagornykh, described as the point man for running the programme, became the first head to roll. The WADA probe by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren quoted Russian whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov as saying it was "inconceivable" that Mutko did not know about the whole doping system. But the Kremlin has said that it is sticking by Mutko and he insisted that there "were not and cannot be any allegations directed against me". "Everything the minister does is always connected only with the fight against doping," he told R-Sport. In connection with the report, WADA also called on FIFA to investigate Mutko, a member of the football world body's executive, over drug failures in football. While it found no smoking gun directly linking Mutko to the broader programme to protect drug cheats it said Mutko took the decision to cover up the doping case of a foreign player in the Russian football league. (AFP)

Russia suspends four more anti-doping officials

The crackdown on athletes caught up in recent doping scandals is a step in the right direction for the sport, Allyson Felix says, but the American sprinter is still worried it will not be a level playing field at next month&#39;s Rio Olympics. 
 
The 30-year-old qualified for her fourth Olympics earlier this month but will not be gunning for a 200-400 metres double after finishing fourth over the shorter distance at the US trials in Oregon. 
 
Athletics has been under the spotlight due to a doping scandal that saw Russia banned from competing in the sport at the Rio Games after a World Anti-Doping Agency report uncovered systematic abuse in the country. 
 
Kenya&#39;s team were also in danger of missing Rio before their government passed legislation that complied with anti-doping codes. 
 
&quot;The number of scandals we see now just shows the real issues that are there in sports,&quot; Felix told reporters in Beverley Hills. &quot;I would say that my confidence isn&#39;t high to think that there are not real issues.&nbsp;I would hope that the playing field is more level (but) it is very hard to deal with as a clean athlete.&nbsp;You are going to the biggest race of your life and you hope that that is a clean race. But can you say that you are a 100 per cent that you are sure?&nbsp;I don&#39;t think that you can say that.&quot; 
 
Felix said athletics was working hard to clean up the sport. 
 
&quot;It is hard ... but I hope we are moving in the right direction,&quot; she added. &quot;I think that exposing athletes that are happening now is I think is a step in the right direction.&quot; 
 
Felix, who won the 200 at the London Games in 2012, had been attempting to do a 200-400 double at Rio but battled an ankle injury in the leadup to the trials in Oregon.&nbsp;The injury had affected her conditioning and she failed to qualify for the 200 by 0.01 seconds. 
 
&quot;I think that what happened to me was just unfortunate. I think injuries are a part of sport and it is something that you just have to deal with,&quot; she added.&nbsp;&quot;For me I feel so grateful to have made this team at all as two months ago I was not walking at all.&nbsp;So it&#39;s pretty amazing to me that I&#39;m still going to Rio and while it doesn&#39;t look exactly how I hoped it would. But I&#39;m still going after it with everything I have.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

'...My confidence isn't high to think that there are not real issues...it is very hard to deal with as a clean athlete'--Allyson Felix

The crackdown on athletes caught up in recent doping scandals is a step in the right direction for the sport, Allyson Felix says, but the American sprinter is still worried it will not be a level playing field at next month's Rio Olympics. The 30-year-old qualified for her fourth Olympics earlier this month but will not be gunning for a 200-400 metres double after finishing fourth over the shorter distance at the US trials in Oregon. Athletics has been under the spotlight due to a doping scandal that saw Russia banned from competing in the sport at the Rio Games after a World Anti-Doping Agency report uncovered systematic abuse in the country. Kenya's team were also in danger of missing Rio before their government passed legislation that complied with anti-doping codes. "The number of scandals we see now just shows the real issues that are there in sports," Felix told reporters in Beverley Hills. "I would say that my confidence isn't high to think that there are not real issues. I would hope that the playing field is more level (but) it is very hard to deal with as a clean athlete. You are going to the biggest race of your life and you hope that that is a clean race. But can you say that you are a 100 per cent that you are sure? I don't think that you can say that." Felix said athletics was working hard to clean up the sport. "It is hard ... but I hope we are moving in the right direction," she added. "I think that exposing athletes that are happening now is I think is a step in the right direction." Felix, who won the 200 at the London Games in 2012, had been attempting to do a 200-400 double at Rio but battled an ankle injury in the leadup to the trials in Oregon. The injury had affected her conditioning and she failed to qualify for the 200 by 0.01 seconds. "I think that what happened to me was just unfortunate. I think injuries are a part of sport and it is something that you just have to deal with," she added. "For me I feel so grateful to have made this team at all as two months ago I was not walking at all. So it's pretty amazing to me that I'm still going to Rio and while it doesn't look exactly how I hoped it would. But I'm still going after it with everything I have." (Reuters)

American sprinter doubts Olympic competitors are clean

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has been heavily criticised for its handling of information relating to a doctor who was allegedly supplying athletes with banned substances. 
 
The agency, a national organisation committed to drug-free sport, commissioned an independent review after claims aired in the Sunday Times that Dr Mark Bonar had provided more than 150 elite athletes with performance-enhancing drugs. 
 
Amateur cyclist Dan Stevens turned whistleblower in the hope of reducing his suspension after he was banned for two years for breaching anti-doping rules in 2014. 
 
But the review&#39;s report censured UKAD for failing to pursue claims against Bonar and for not contacting his professional body, the General Medical Council. 
 
While praising UKAD staff for their &quot;transparency&quot; and commitment to clean sport, the report was scathing about certain parts of the investigation into Bonar. 
 
&quot;It is difficult to understand why no contact was made with the GMC when that course of action was suggested on at least seven occasions either by members of UKAD, the athlete (Stevens) and his legal representatives,&quot; said the review&#39;s chairman, former Merseyside assistant chief constable Andy Ward. 
 
He added that &quot;as a minimum standard of investigation, a simple check&quot; with the GMC should have been made to find out if it, as Bonar`s regulatory body, had any information that could &quot;support or negate&quot; Stevens claims. 
 
UKAD was also criticised for not giving Stevens a more lenient sentence after his cooperation, with Ward highlighting the &quot;confusion and lack of clarity&quot; as to how the agency deals with dopers seeking to reduce their sanction in return for &quot;substantial assistance&quot;. 
 
He described UKAD&#39;s dismissal of Stevens request for a lesser punishment as &quot;harsh&quot; and &quot;subjective&quot;. 
 
That dismissal prompted Stevens to take his story to the Sunday Times, which then filmed the London-based Bonar claiming he had supplied prohibited drugs to more than 150 top-level athletes. 
&nbsp; 
Those claims, which were published by the newspaper in April, have now been investigated by UKAD, and the agency did eventually share its findings with the GMC. Bonar has since denied any wrongdoing. 
 
&quot;It is clear that opportunities to gather intelligence, secure evidence and investigate Bonar have been missed,&quot; Ward concluded. 
 
(AFP)

A review set up by the agency has censured it for failing to pursue claims that a doctor supplied drugs to more than 150 athletes

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has been heavily criticised for its handling of information relating to a doctor who was allegedly supplying athletes with banned substances. The agency, a national organisation committed to drug-free sport, commissioned an independent review after claims aired in the Sunday Times that Dr Mark Bonar had provided more than 150 elite athletes with performance-enhancing drugs. Amateur cyclist Dan Stevens turned whistleblower in the hope of reducing his suspension after he was banned for two years for breaching anti-doping rules in 2014. But the review's report censured UKAD for failing to pursue claims against Bonar and for not contacting his professional body, the General Medical Council. While praising UKAD staff for their "transparency" and commitment to clean sport, the report was scathing about certain parts of the investigation into Bonar. "It is difficult to understand why no contact was made with the GMC when that course of action was suggested on at least seven occasions either by members of UKAD, the athlete (Stevens) and his legal representatives," said the review's chairman, former Merseyside assistant chief constable Andy Ward. He added that "as a minimum standard of investigation, a simple check" with the GMC should have been made to find out if it, as Bonar`s regulatory body, had any information that could "support or negate" Stevens claims. UKAD was also criticised for not giving Stevens a more lenient sentence after his cooperation, with Ward highlighting the "confusion and lack of clarity" as to how the agency deals with dopers seeking to reduce their sanction in return for "substantial assistance". He described UKAD's dismissal of Stevens request for a lesser punishment as "harsh" and "subjective". That dismissal prompted Stevens to take his story to the Sunday Times, which then filmed the London-based Bonar claiming he had supplied prohibited drugs to more than 150 top-level athletes. Those claims, which were published by the newspaper in April, have now been investigated by UKAD, and the agency did eventually share its findings with the GMC. Bonar has since denied any wrongdoing. "It is clear that opportunities to gather intelligence, secure evidence and investigate Bonar have been missed," Ward concluded. (AFP)

UK Anti-Doping criticised for handling of doping claims

A Court of Arbitration for Sport decision on the two-year doping ban for Maria Sharapova has been put back two months to September, the court said today, ruling the tennis superstar out of the Rio Olympics. 
 
The 29-year-old Russian, one of the biggest names in tennis, tested positive for the banned medication meldonium during January`s Australian Open, in a severe blow to her reputation. 
 
&quot;Maria Sharapova and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) have agreed to defer the CAS decision until September 2016,&quot; said a CAS statement. 
 
&quot;Due to the parties requiring additional time to complete and respond to their respective evidentiary submissions, and several scheduling conflicts, the parties have agreed not to expedite the appeal. A decision is expected to be issued by September 19, 2016.&quot; 
 
The original ruling was expected by July 18, with Sharapova hoping that a successful appeal would have allowed her to spearhead the Russian tennis team in Rio. 
 
Russia&#39;s participation at the Games, which begin on August 5, is already under fierce scrutiny after its track and field team was banned for separate state-sponsored doping. 
 
Sharapova&#39;s ban was backdated to January 26 this year, when she tested positive for the prohibited substance. 
 
Meldonium was added to the world anti-doping WADA list on January 1. Sharapova said she had been taking it for 10 years to help treat illnesses, a heart issue and a magnesium deficiency. 
 
Sharapova has previously blasted the ban as &quot;unfairly harsh&quot;. 
 
The CAS statement added: &quot;In her appeal to the CAS, Ms Sharapova seeks the annulment of the (ITF) tribunal`s decision to sanction her with a two-year period of ineligibility further to an anti-doping rule violation.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Ms Sharapova submits that the period of ineligibility should be eliminated, or in the alternative, reduced. The final decision will be announced and published by CAS when it is available.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Maria Sharapova, one of the biggest names in tennis, tested positive for the banned medication meldonium during January's Australian Open

A Court of Arbitration for Sport decision on the two-year doping ban for Maria Sharapova has been put back two months to September, the court said today, ruling the tennis superstar out of the Rio Olympics. The 29-year-old Russian, one of the biggest names in tennis, tested positive for the banned medication meldonium during January`s Australian Open, in a severe blow to her reputation. "Maria Sharapova and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) have agreed to defer the CAS decision until September 2016," said a CAS statement. "Due to the parties requiring additional time to complete and respond to their respective evidentiary submissions, and several scheduling conflicts, the parties have agreed not to expedite the appeal. A decision is expected to be issued by September 19, 2016." The original ruling was expected by July 18, with Sharapova hoping that a successful appeal would have allowed her to spearhead the Russian tennis team in Rio. Russia's participation at the Games, which begin on August 5, is already under fierce scrutiny after its track and field team was banned for separate state-sponsored doping. Sharapova's ban was backdated to January 26 this year, when she tested positive for the prohibited substance. Meldonium was added to the world anti-doping WADA list on January 1. Sharapova said she had been taking it for 10 years to help treat illnesses, a heart issue and a magnesium deficiency. Sharapova has previously blasted the ban as "unfairly harsh". The CAS statement added: "In her appeal to the CAS, Ms Sharapova seeks the annulment of the (ITF) tribunal`s decision to sanction her with a two-year period of ineligibility further to an anti-doping rule violation. "Ms Sharapova submits that the period of ineligibility should be eliminated, or in the alternative, reduced. The final decision will be announced and published by CAS when it is available." (AFP)

Sharapova out of Rio as CAS delays doping decision

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) urged the Kenyan government to act &quot;quickly in the interest of protecting clean sport&quot; after the athletics powerhouse found itself caught in the eye of a fresh doping storm. 
 
A new investigation by German television channel ARD and Britain&#39;s Sunday Times newspaper alleged on Saturday that doping is rife at the elite training centre in Iten. 
 
Previous joint research by ARD and the British newspaper led to the banning of the Russian athletics team from the Olympic Games for state-sponsored doping. 
 
Over the past three years, around 40 Kenyan athletes have failed doping tests, shredding their reputation for probity and laying bare the reality behind their reputation as the most dominant middle-to-long distance running nation in the world.&nbsp; 
 
The allegations are a major blow as they follow only weeks after Kenyan lawmakers passed a law, having been threatened with a similar sanction as the Russians by WADA - making it a criminal act to either dope or to supply such products. 
 
The documentary, largely filmed with a hidden camera, says it successfully infiltrated a team, posing as an athlete, in the training centre, a favoured spot for distance runners, both Kenyan and European, as it is at high altitude - 2,400 metres above sea level. 
 
The documentary shows images of boxes of the endurance-boosting drug EPO on the inside of the training centre and used syringes dumped in a bin. 
 
EPO is shown to be widely available in the pharmacies around the centre whilst two doctors are only too willing to propose supplying the journalist posing as an athlete with doping products. 
&nbsp; 
One of the two doctors claims to have supplied to &quot;more than 50 athletes, including three British runners, based on his guarantee he could dramatically improve their performances in &quot;three months&quot;. 
 
&quot;Even if the athletes are subjected to doping tests they will find nothing,&quot; says the doctor. 
 
&quot;That is what the top level athletes take.&quot; 
 
The same doctor, according to ARD, when approached again retracted his claims and said he had nothing to do with doping and to have made up supplying the products. 
 
However, both he and the other doctor featured have since been arrested by Kenyan police, according to ARD. 
 
A man said to be the coach of an Olympic champion, appearing with his face hidden, confirms the claims made in the documentary. 
&quot;The great majority of the athletes who appear out of nowhere are doped,&quot; he says. 
 
The chief executive of UK Anti-Doping, Nicole Sapstead, said the report was &quot;of grave concern and of significant interest&quot;, adding they were investigating. 
 
&quot;I can confirm that this evidence is being treated with the utmost importance and urgency, and two UKAD staff are currently in Kenya pursuing a number of lines of enquiry,&quot; she said in a statement. 
 
Newly-installed WADA director-general Olivier Niggli, in a statement issued from the organisation&#39;s Montreal headquarters, said he had &quot;full confidence &quot; in UKAD. 
 
He added: &quot;This article is one in a series of reports questioning Kenya`s ability to effectively address doping; and, suggesting that there exists a culture of doping in the country. 
 
&quot;At the very least, this is an indication that the Kenyan government must quickly put the necessary human resources behind Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) in the interest of protecting clean sport.&quot; 
 
Earlier, ADAK head Japhter Rugut told ARD: &quot;We can see that we have a lot of problems at grassroots level and we will work with the police so as to weed out all those implicated in these criminal activities, both sports people and doctors, who will have to answer for their actions. 
 
&quot;We want to go to Rio with a clean team.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

A documentary by German TV and British newspaper showed boxes of endurance-boosting drug EPO and syringes inside the training centre at Iten

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) urged the Kenyan government to act "quickly in the interest of protecting clean sport" after the athletics powerhouse found itself caught in the eye of a fresh doping storm. A new investigation by German television channel ARD and Britain's Sunday Times newspaper alleged on Saturday that doping is rife at the elite training centre in Iten. Previous joint research by ARD and the British newspaper led to the banning of the Russian athletics team from the Olympic Games for state-sponsored doping. Over the past three years, around 40 Kenyan athletes have failed doping tests, shredding their reputation for probity and laying bare the reality behind their reputation as the most dominant middle-to-long distance running nation in the world. The allegations are a major blow as they follow only weeks after Kenyan lawmakers passed a law, having been threatened with a similar sanction as the Russians by WADA - making it a criminal act to either dope or to supply such products. The documentary, largely filmed with a hidden camera, says it successfully infiltrated a team, posing as an athlete, in the training centre, a favoured spot for distance runners, both Kenyan and European, as it is at high altitude - 2,400 metres above sea level. The documentary shows images of boxes of the endurance-boosting drug EPO on the inside of the training centre and used syringes dumped in a bin. EPO is shown to be widely available in the pharmacies around the centre whilst two doctors are only too willing to propose supplying the journalist posing as an athlete with doping products. One of the two doctors claims to have supplied to "more than 50 athletes, including three British runners, based on his guarantee he could dramatically improve their performances in "three months". "Even if the athletes are subjected to doping tests they will find nothing," says the doctor. "That is what the top level athletes take." The same doctor, according to ARD, when approached again retracted his claims and said he had nothing to do with doping and to have made up supplying the products. However, both he and the other doctor featured have since been arrested by Kenyan police, according to ARD. A man said to be the coach of an Olympic champion, appearing with his face hidden, confirms the claims made in the documentary. "The great majority of the athletes who appear out of nowhere are doped," he says. The chief executive of UK Anti-Doping, Nicole Sapstead, said the report was "of grave concern and of significant interest", adding they were investigating. "I can confirm that this evidence is being treated with the utmost importance and urgency, and two UKAD staff are currently in Kenya pursuing a number of lines of enquiry," she said in a statement. Newly-installed WADA director-general Olivier Niggli, in a statement issued from the organisation's Montreal headquarters, said he had "full confidence " in UKAD. He added: "This article is one in a series of reports questioning Kenya`s ability to effectively address doping; and, suggesting that there exists a culture of doping in the country. "At the very least, this is an indication that the Kenyan government must quickly put the necessary human resources behind Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) in the interest of protecting clean sport." Earlier, ADAK head Japhter Rugut told ARD: "We can see that we have a lot of problems at grassroots level and we will work with the police so as to weed out all those implicated in these criminal activities, both sports people and doctors, who will have to answer for their actions. "We want to go to Rio with a clean team." (AFP)

World agency calls for 'quick action' after another Kenya doping scandal

The IAAF&#39;s Doping Review Board has turned down applications from 67 Russian athletes to compete internationally as &quot;neutral&quot; individuals, following a blanket ban on the country&#39;s track and field athletes for systematic doping. 
 
The All-Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) said in a statement today it was informed by the sport&#39;s world governing IAAF that only one application had been approved, from long jumper Darya Klishina, out of 68 requests made. 
 
&quot;The rest of the 67 athletes who have been approved by the ARAF&#39;s board as they have fulfilled the federation&#39;s criteria to compete in the Olympics have been refused,&quot; ARAF said on its website. 
 
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) suspended Russia&#39;s track and field athletes last year after a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report uncovered systematic state-sponsored doping in the country. 
 
The ban was extended last month, which ruled Russia&#39;s athletes out of next month&#39;s Rio Olympics, although ARAF has appealed against the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and it is due to rule on the case by July 21. 
 
Individual Russian athletes, however, could apply to the IAAF for exemptions to compete as a &quot;neutral athlete&quot; if they could prove they were not involved in the system and were subjected to drug tests outside the country. 
 
However, the 25-year-old Klishina, who finished 10th in the long jump at last year&#39;s world championships in Beijing, was the only one of the 68 athletes approved by ARAF who has been cleared by the IAAF to compete internationally as a &quot;neutral&quot;. 
 
Klishina&#39;s was one of 136 appeals to the IAAF under the neutral athlete provisions and most of the applications had been reviewed, the IAAF had said on Saturday. 
 
Russian doping whistleblower Yulia Stepanova&#39;s application to compete as an individual was accepted by the IAAF on July 1. She competed in the 800 metres at the European Athletics Championships on Wednesday although she pulled up injured. 
 
The former drug cheat&#39;s revelations helped expose the massive doping problem in her country and she left Russia and went into hiding after disclosing the issue. 
 
She is still waiting to hear from the International Olympic Committee whether she can participate in the Rio Games. 
 
Legal possibilities 
 
ARAF said today it would carry on fighting against the IAAF&#39;s decisions and added that the country&#39;s athletes were continuing to prepare for the Olympics, which start on Aug. 5. 
 
&quot;The ARAF does not agree with the decision taken by the IAAF&#39;s Council from June 17 (to extend the blanket ban) and the decision from the IAAF&#39;s Doping Review Board on July 10 in regard to the Russian athletes,&quot; said the ARAF statement. 
 
&quot;The ARAF will use all legal possibilities in order that Russian athletes will get the chance to take part in the Olympics. 
 
&quot;Russian athletes are continuing to prepare for the most important event in four years, and together with the Russian Sports Ministry and the Russian Olympic Committee we will take all the necessary technical and organisational steps in order to prepare the Russian track and field team for the Olympic Games.&quot; 
 
&quot;The federation is fighting for the right of clean sportsmen and is waiting for a decision from CAS,&quot; ARAF added. 
 
Klishina&#39;s best performance at a senior global event was fourth at the world indoor championships in Istanbul in 2012. She has finished seventh twice at the world outdoor championships in 2013 in Moscow and in 2014 in Sopot. 
 
&quot;The IAAF Doping Review Board has agreed that Russian long jump athlete Darya Klishina meets the exceptional eligibility criteria to compete in international competition as a neutral athlete,&quot; the IAAF said on its website. 
 
&quot;Darya Klishina&#39;s participation as a neutral athlete in international competition is still subject to acceptance by the organiser of the competition in question, in accordance with the rules of that competition,&quot; it added. 
 
(Reuters)

The All-Russian Athletics Federation said today that it will carry on fighting against the IAAF's decisions

The IAAF's Doping Review Board has turned down applications from 67 Russian athletes to compete internationally as "neutral" individuals, following a blanket ban on the country's track and field athletes for systematic doping. The All-Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) said in a statement today it was informed by the sport's world governing IAAF that only one application had been approved, from long jumper Darya Klishina, out of 68 requests made. "The rest of the 67 athletes who have been approved by the ARAF's board as they have fulfilled the federation's criteria to compete in the Olympics have been refused," ARAF said on its website. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) suspended Russia's track and field athletes last year after a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report uncovered systematic state-sponsored doping in the country. The ban was extended last month, which ruled Russia's athletes out of next month's Rio Olympics, although ARAF has appealed against the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and it is due to rule on the case by July 21. Individual Russian athletes, however, could apply to the IAAF for exemptions to compete as a "neutral athlete" if they could prove they were not involved in the system and were subjected to drug tests outside the country. However, the 25-year-old Klishina, who finished 10th in the long jump at last year's world championships in Beijing, was the only one of the 68 athletes approved by ARAF who has been cleared by the IAAF to compete internationally as a "neutral". Klishina's was one of 136 appeals to the IAAF under the neutral athlete provisions and most of the applications had been reviewed, the IAAF had said on Saturday. Russian doping whistleblower Yulia Stepanova's application to compete as an individual was accepted by the IAAF on July 1. She competed in the 800 metres at the European Athletics Championships on Wednesday although she pulled up injured. The former drug cheat's revelations helped expose the massive doping problem in her country and she left Russia and went into hiding after disclosing the issue. She is still waiting to hear from the International Olympic Committee whether she can participate in the Rio Games. Legal possibilities ARAF said today it would carry on fighting against the IAAF's decisions and added that the country's athletes were continuing to prepare for the Olympics, which start on Aug. 5. "The ARAF does not agree with the decision taken by the IAAF's Council from June 17 (to extend the blanket ban) and the decision from the IAAF's Doping Review Board on July 10 in regard to the Russian athletes," said the ARAF statement. "The ARAF will use all legal possibilities in order that Russian athletes will get the chance to take part in the Olympics. "Russian athletes are continuing to prepare for the most important event in four years, and together with the Russian Sports Ministry and the Russian Olympic Committee we will take all the necessary technical and organisational steps in order to prepare the Russian track and field team for the Olympic Games." "The federation is fighting for the right of clean sportsmen and is waiting for a decision from CAS," ARAF added. Klishina's best performance at a senior global event was fourth at the world indoor championships in Istanbul in 2012. She has finished seventh twice at the world outdoor championships in 2013 in Moscow and in 2014 in Sopot. "The IAAF Doping Review Board has agreed that Russian long jump athlete Darya Klishina meets the exceptional eligibility criteria to compete in international competition as a neutral athlete," the IAAF said on its website. "Darya Klishina's participation as a neutral athlete in international competition is still subject to acceptance by the organiser of the competition in question, in accordance with the rules of that competition," it added. (Reuters)

IAAF turns down 67 Russian applications to compete as individuals

United States-based long jumper Darya Klishina became the first Russian athlete today to be cleared to compete at the Rio Olympics, but the fate of pole vault star Yelena Isinbayeva was still up in the air. 
 
The IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations), which has suspended the Russian track and field team over state-sponsored doping, said it had given the go-ahead for Klishina to compete in international competition as a &#39;neutral&#39;, ahead of the Rio Games next month. 
 
&quot;The IAAF Doping Review Board has today agreed that Russian long jump athlete Darya Klishina meets the exceptional eligibility criteria to compete in international competition as a neutral athlete,&quot; the IAAF said in a statement.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The Doping Review Board received a total of 136 applications from Russian athletes seeking exceptional eligibility to compete in an individual capacity,&quot; the statement said.&nbsp; 
 
The Russian Olympic Committee said that of the 136 who applied to the IAAF to compete, only Klishina had been accepted.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Rejections have come for everyone, except for Klishina,&quot; Alexandra Brilliantova, the head of the Olympic Committee&#39;s legal department, told state-run TASS news agency.&nbsp; 
 
Among those rejected were gold medallist pole vaulter Isinbayeva and world champion hurdler Sergey Shubenkov, trainers for the two athletes both based in Russia confirmed. 
 
Russian track and field stars, including Isinbayeva, still hoping to go to Rio now hope that the Court of Arbitrations for Sport (CAS) will overturn the blanket ban. 
 
Russia, last month, had its suspension over allegations of institutionalised and pervasive doping upheld by the IAAF, athletics ruling body. 
 
But it left the door ajar to some Russian competitors not tainted by doping to compete as neutrals in Rio.&nbsp; 
 
CAS said Monday it will decide whether to overturn the ban by July 21, two weeks before the start of the Rio Games.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

The Russian Olympic Committee said that of the 136 who applied to the IAAF to compete, only Darya Klishina had been accepted

United States-based long jumper Darya Klishina became the first Russian athlete today to be cleared to compete at the Rio Olympics, but the fate of pole vault star Yelena Isinbayeva was still up in the air. The IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations), which has suspended the Russian track and field team over state-sponsored doping, said it had given the go-ahead for Klishina to compete in international competition as a 'neutral', ahead of the Rio Games next month. "The IAAF Doping Review Board has today agreed that Russian long jump athlete Darya Klishina meets the exceptional eligibility criteria to compete in international competition as a neutral athlete," the IAAF said in a statement. "The Doping Review Board received a total of 136 applications from Russian athletes seeking exceptional eligibility to compete in an individual capacity," the statement said. The Russian Olympic Committee said that of the 136 who applied to the IAAF to compete, only Klishina had been accepted. "Rejections have come for everyone, except for Klishina," Alexandra Brilliantova, the head of the Olympic Committee's legal department, told state-run TASS news agency. Among those rejected were gold medallist pole vaulter Isinbayeva and world champion hurdler Sergey Shubenkov, trainers for the two athletes both based in Russia confirmed. Russian track and field stars, including Isinbayeva, still hoping to go to Rio now hope that the Court of Arbitrations for Sport (CAS) will overturn the blanket ban. Russia, last month, had its suspension over allegations of institutionalised and pervasive doping upheld by the IAAF, athletics ruling body. But it left the door ajar to some Russian competitors not tainted by doping to compete as neutrals in Rio. CAS said Monday it will decide whether to overturn the ban by July 21, two weeks before the start of the Rio Games. (AFP)

Darya?Klishina only Russian athlete to be cleared to compete as 'neutral' at Rio 2016

Russian breastroke swimmer Vitalina Simonova has been suspended for four years after testing positive for a banned substance, the International Swimming Federation (FINA) has announced. 
 
The test result related to an out of competition sample the 23-year-old gave on June 29, 2015 during a training camp in Naoussa, Greece, where testosterone was found. 
 
The ban is backdated and runs until June 28, 2019, FINA said in a statement on its official website.&nbsp; 
 
The Russian won bronze at the 2014 European Championships in the medley relay and claimed silver at the 2013 European short course championships in the 200 metres breaststroke.&nbsp; 
 
Simonova, who was not selected to compete at this year&#39;s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, intends to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the suspension. 
 
&quot;The banned substance was in a dietary supplement, but it was not indicated on the packaging,&quot; Simonova told the R-Sport news agency.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I am upset that our arguments have not been listened to, but I intend to carry on and will look to defend myself at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. I have no intention of retiring,&quot; she added. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Vitalina Simonova, who was not selected to compete at this year's Rio Olympics, intends to appeal to CAS against the suspension

Russian breastroke swimmer Vitalina Simonova has been suspended for four years after testing positive for a banned substance, the International Swimming Federation (FINA) has announced. The test result related to an out of competition sample the 23-year-old gave on June 29, 2015 during a training camp in Naoussa, Greece, where testosterone was found. The ban is backdated and runs until June 28, 2019, FINA said in a statement on its official website. The Russian won bronze at the 2014 European Championships in the medley relay and claimed silver at the 2013 European short course championships in the 200 metres breaststroke. Simonova, who was not selected to compete at this year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, intends to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the suspension. "The banned substance was in a dietary supplement, but it was not indicated on the packaging," Simonova told the R-Sport news agency. "I am upset that our arguments have not been listened to, but I intend to carry on and will look to defend myself at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. I have no intention of retiring," she added. (Reuters)

Russian swimmer Simonova gets four-year doping ban

doping

Doping, News on Doping, stories on Doping, articles on Doping, Doping stories at Wion, Doping news, Doping latest news