The war in Ukraine is at the center of heated discussions about reintegrating Russian athletes into world sport. Doping issues hardly play a role anymore – although the distrust is huge.
At some point, after endless explanations about the supposedly sensible and justified reintegration of Russian and Belarusian athletes into world sport, Thomas Bach also spoke about doping. Of course, like everyone else, “each and every neutral athlete complies with all anti-doping rules“said the German President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Bach’s brief statements during the press conference following the IOC Executive meeting in Lausanne at the end of March were exemplary. Amid heated discussions about the return of Russian athletes against the backdrop of Ukraine’s brutal war of aggression, state doping and its consequences have become a side note. And that despite the fact that the great sporting power Russia has been a huge annoyance for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in recent years – and it still is.
“Confidence remains very low”
“I have to say that confidence in the independence of the Russian anti-doping system remains very low“, says WADA President Witold Banka. Four months after the formal end of the ban, WADA has still not found the Russian anti-doping agency RUSADA to be compliant (“compliant“) explains. The mere lack of this official status could prevent Russian athletes from taking part in major sporting events without restrictions. Quite apart from the sanctions that were imposed because of the war of aggression (and are currently being relaxed again).
A look at the extent of Russia’s cheating since the Sochi 2014 Winter Games makes any suspicion seem logical. There was the steroid cocktails of doping mastermind Grigory Rodchenkov, the exchange of urine samples through a secret flap in the wall, according to the investigation report “directed, controlled and monitored” by the secret service and the Ministry of Sports. Despite overwhelming evidence, Russia reacted with endless denials, disinformation campaigns and other audacious acts such as the massive manipulation of control data from the Moscow laboratory.
Case of Valiyeva upsets WADA
The most recent affront should now also contribute to the fact that RUSADA is still known as “non-compliant” is classified: dealing with the doping case of figure skating prodigy Kamila Valiewa. During the Winter Games in Beijing in 2022, the positive test of the then 15-year-old and her shady environment around coach Eteri Tutberidze was a determining topic. RUSADA initially dragged the case and then acquitted the folk heroine Valiyeva without further ado.”The way the case has been handled is not exactly encouraging“, says WADA boss Banka. The Russian side would have “nurtured distrust“.
along with the International Testing Agency (ITA), which organizes doping controls in 24 of the 32 summer Olympic sports, WADA is trying to maintain a transparent and viable anti-doping system even after the start of the war of aggression in Russia. A mammoth task that, according to the institutions themselves, is largely successful. In 2022, the ITA carried out a similar number of out-of-competition tests (943) in Russia and Belarus as in the previous year (1,055). So much for the bare numbers.
Tests in Russia a logistical nightmare
But tests, especially in remote areas of the vast empire, are complicated and expensive. The control routine up to the transport to the laboratories abroad – analysis within Russia is not yet allowed – is a logistical nightmare. An insider expressed doubts to the ARD doping editorial team that the complex system is actually safe from manipulation. Manipulations of the kind that the Russians have repeatedly used in the field of anti-doping in recent years at great expense and with remarkable criminal energy.
“At some point you will be completely stupid”
The suspicion that Russia is faced with when it comes to doping issues is also still widespread among athletes. “Definitive” can you imagine that “was doped in Russia last year“Said fencer Lea Krüger in the ARD interview: “There has been too much reason for that in the past, that my trust in the Russian anti-doping system has been weakened.“
Krüger, member of the executive committee of Athletes Germany, faces special challenges as a fencer. The world association FIE, which is responsible for them and which is heavily influenced by Russia, has already decided to reintegrate Russian and Belarusian athletes. The situation is so stressful for Lea Krüger that she ignores all doping doubts out of sheer self-protection. Her statement makes it clear how problematic the return of Russian athletes to world sport is in view of the war and Anti-Doping Questions is: “Now if I go into a competition and start to take concerns about doping into account, in addition to the whole political situation – I think at some point you just become completely stupid.”