Reedie warning as Russia’s anti-doping agency declared non-compliant

Leaders of the World Anti-Doping Agency have declared Russia’s anti-doping agency out of compliance.

Key figures in the anti-doping movement, including Olympic champions Edwin Moses and Beckie Scott, have called for banning the Russian track team from next year’s Olympics and for the probe in Russia to extend beyond track and field.

The decision to suspend the Russian Anti-Doping Agency for non-compliance had the full support of WADA’s foundation board and follows the worldwide anti-doping commission’s report that detailed a widespread doping scandal in the country.

Craig Reedie, WADA’s president, said for starters Russian will have to find a new roster of WADA-approved testers and scientists to manage the anti-doping testing program.

Brazil, which will host next year’s Summer Olympics, France, Belgium, Greece, Mexico and Spain were placed on a compliance “watch list” and have until March to get their house in order and bring their anti-doping programs in line with the WADA Code.

The lead investigator into state-sponsored doping in Russian Federation says athletes blatantly took illegal substances under the noses of inspectors.

However, the report’s co-author Dick Pound said it would be “child’s play” for Russian athletics and Rusada – the country’s anti-doping organisation – to meet the conditions in time to compete in Rio.

RUSADA said in a statement WADA would make a decision on whether to rescind its suspension when all issues exposed in the report had been addressed.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has announced that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) has been declared “non-compliant” with immediate effect.

According to her, the WADA may set up a work group to supervise the elimination of violations, provided by an independent commission. There’s healthy debate about whether they can really all happen between now and next August, when the Olympics start in Rio de Janeiro.

WADA’s foundation board, meeting in Colorado Springs, said the agency would explore the idea put forward by the International Olympic Committee at a summit in Lausanne last month.

“WADA 2 work with worldwide Federations & other NADOs (National Anti-Doping Organisations) to ensure they test all athletes in those countries and so there are no gaps”, said the official WADA Twitter account. The world is watching and we have acted.

More urgently discussed was WADA’s ability to deal with the noncompliance declaration and the doping allegations that go beyond Russia’s track team.

“There are going to have to be other sources of revenue”, Moses said.