Russian Federation Ready to Create New Anti-Doping Lab – Mutko

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko on Friday said he is ready to liquidate Russia’s Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) and create a new body in the wake of a scathing worldwide investigation into alleged systemic doping in Russian sport, the R-Sport news site reported.

The global Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) today (Nov. 13) provisionally revoked Russia’s membership from the organization after a report released earlier this week by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) documented wide ranging and institutionalized doping by the country’s athletes.

“To ban innocent and not connected to that doping scandal athletes from competing in global events and Olympic Games in Rio is not fair”.

Coe is determined to show he will act against Russian Federation, but he is also expected to acknowledge that the country has taken steps since the scandal first broke in December past year when German broadcaster ARD screened a documentary.

Renee Anne Shirley, the former head of the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission who blew the whistle on the lack of tests in Jamaican athletics, said the Nike connection was a “clear conflict of interest” for Coe. “We find ourselves in a shameful position tonight”.

However, Putin also drew a clear distinction with clean athletes. “It is why our council has sent such a strong message”.

“To regain membership to the IAAF the new federation would have to fulfil a list of criteria”.

Russia’s initial reaction to Monday’s doping report was one of indignation and that the allegations were politically-motivated.

Still uncertain is whether the Russian federation will be able to reform in time for its athletes to compete at the Rio Games, which run from August 5-21.

She also said that banning the entire Russian track and field team was “absolutely unacceptable” and marked “an attempt to introduce the principle of collective punishment into the area of sport”. “Our verification team will be tough….”

“But we don’t want to scrub Russian athletics off the world map and we will not accept such a decision”.

Stephanie Hightower, the president of USA Track and Field, was one of 22 council members to cast a “yes” vote in favor of banning Russian Federation from global competition, which could include next year’s Olympics. He said Russia’s return to competition “will depend on how convincing we are with our case and how objective the commission is”.

“We’ll work with them”, he told reporters in Moscow.

WADA called the IAAF decision “positive news for clean athletes worldwide”. The findings will go to the WADA foundation board, which will vote on it next Wednesday in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Maxim Sidorov, a shot putter who competed at the 2012 Olympics, says even if Russian athletes were guilty of doping, “other countries do it as well”.

“Obviously, this is the only outcome acceptable to clean athletes and while it is somewhat promising, the real test now is to ensure full justice and accountability for their actions before being allowed to compete again”.

Coe announced that Paul Deighton, who served as chief executive of the organizing committee for the 2012 London Olympics, will oversee a program of reform of the IAAF’s governance. “We are 100% in support of President Coe and believe that he is the leader that our sport needs to instigate the necessary actions swiftly and strongly”.