17th May, 2018
Russian anti-doping agency RUSADA remains suspended, following allegations of a state-run drugs programme in sports, the world anti-doping agency WADA said on Thursday.
“Nothing has changed,’’ WADA director general Olivier Niggli said after a meeting of its executive committee in Canada.
WADA’s main condition for the reinstatement of RUSADA is that Russia recognises the report of lawyer Richard McLaren into state-controlled doping in Russia.
“Moscow has refused to do so but a written Russian reaction is currently being studied by WADA,’’ RUSADA supervisory board member Sergei Chrytschkov said.
Report says WADA also wants access to doping samples confiscated in Russia by the country’s Federal Investigative Committee.
Meanwhile the Russians are investigating Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of Moscow’s anti-doping laboratory.
He is in hiding in the U.S. after being the main whistleblower in the scandal.
Russian athletes had to participate as neutrals at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in February because of the controversy, but the International Olympic Committee lifted a ban on Russia after the Games.