The int'l investigation into alleged drug cheating inside Russian athletics could "draw in other Russian sports since they used the same laboratory" that now stands accused of covering up failed drug tests, according to Stubbs & Lowe of REUTERS. The allegations of drug-taking in athletics -- and the prospect Russian athletes could be barred from Rio -- is "already the biggest sporting scandal to hit Russia for several decades." But if the affair "snowballs to include other sports, including some that are hugely popular, it could cut even deeper" into Russian pride which in the past few years has been "riding high after a run of sporting successes." A large part of the allegations center around a laboratory in Moscow which "processed blood and urine samples from Russian athletes." According to the Internet site of the Russian anti-doping agency (RUSADA), the Moscow laboratory "also processed tests for at least 20 other sports besides athletics." These "included such sports" as ski jumping, cross-country skiing, power-lifting, boxing, rowing, ice hockey, football, biathlon and bobsleigh. Apart from the laboratory, there is another point where, according to the WADA report, "the drug cheating in Russian athletic intersects with other Russian sports." The report alleged that Russian Athletics Federation Medical Commission Head Dr. Sergei Portugalov provided banned substances to Russian athletes and "conspired to cover up their positive test results" (REUTERS, 11/10). In London, Martha Kelner reported leading coaches have warned that swimming has a "global doping crisis on the same scale as athletics." World Swimming Coaches Association Exec Dir John Leonard said, "People saying this is not just Russia and not just athletics are 100 percent correct." There are fears that "state-sponsored" doping in Russian athletics revealed this week may be echoed in swimming. Russia currently has 27 swimmers serving doping bans and earlier this year "came within one anti-doping violation" of being temporarily suspended from competition. Leonard said, "I am absolutely sure that the Russian swimmers were involved in this system as well as the track-and-field athletes. ... It's obviously criminal because 14-year-olds are not giving themselves drugs so someone is criminally affecting the health of children, as they did in the old East German days." Former British Swimming National Performance Dir Bill Sweetenham said, "I was on the stage in front of 700 of the world's best swimming coaches and I asked who felt any confidence in FINA and not one person stood up. ... It would be incorrect just to blame the Russians, I don't think they're any worse than some other countries. Unfortunately it's all leading to Rio being one of the dirtiest Olympics we've seen" (DAILY MAIL, 11/10).
ON WATCH: In Sydney, Phil Lutton wrote at this point, only athletics have "been implicated but few involved in swimming would be particularly surprised if the tentacles reach much further, given Russia's tawdry doping record in the pool in recent years." Swimming Australia will not comment on the issue at the moment, "preferring to wait" until Russia, WADA and the IAAF next meet. But it "all has the feeling of a guillotine blade poised to fall." Former WADA President Dick Pound has already said that other Olympic sports "would be foolish to think the issue was confined to the silo of athletics." Pound: "The public view will move towards believing all sport is corrupt. If you can't believe results, then there is a serious credibility problem" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 11/11).
MOVING SAMPLES: The AP reported FINA said that it is "moving its doping test samples taken at the world championships in Russia to the WADA-accredited lab in Barcelona." In a statement FINA said that it "expresses its deep concern" over the publication of the WADA report. During the July 24-Aug. 9 worlds in Kazan, "FINA collected 645 samples -- 457 urine tests and 188 blood exams." The samples were analyzed by the WADA-accredited lab in Moscow, "under the supervision of independent observers from labs in Barcelona and London" (AP, 11/11).
