A taskforce from the governing body of world athletics will make a first visit to Russia on Jan. 10-11 "to check on progress toward cleaning up the doping scandal that led to Russia's suspension from the sport last month," according to Justin Palmer of REUTERS. IAAF has "set out a series of steps that Russia must take to be reinstated before the Rio Olympics in August." Taskforce Independent Chair Rune Andersen said, "We have established a good working relationship as the basis of our future discussions and meetings together. I look forward with my fellow members of the IAAF taskforce to visiting Moscow in three weeks' time" (REUTERS, 12/23). In London, David Walsh wrote it "will be the first of two or more visits by the inspection committee, who will have a key role in determining whether or not Russian athletes are allowed to compete at the Rio Olympics in August." Given the extent and duration of the cheating, "it seemed extremely presumptuous to imagine that everything could possibly be fixed in so short a time and that Russia could be so quickly readmitted as an IAAF member."
TESTING POSITIVE: How does the inspection committee "verify that the changes Russia implements will lead to athletes and coaches complying with the WADA code?" The "signs are not good." On Christmas Eve it was announced that Russian weightlifter Aleksey Lovchev "had tested positive for the growth hormone Ipamorelin after winning Gold Medal at the world championships in Houston last month." Lovchev "claimed he was shocked by the positive test, though he admitted using a medication for a problem in his knee." Russia Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said that he had "authorisation for the medicine used to treat the injury" (SUNDAY TIMES, 12/27).
