Former WADA President Says Seb Coe Under Pressure To Clear Russia For Olympics

Former World Anti-Doping Agency President Dick Pound believes IAAF President Sebastian Coe is "under mounting pressure to find a way for suspended Russian track and field athletes to compete at the Rio Olympics," according to Steve Keating of REUTERS. Pound thinks that "time is running out for Russia to get its anti-doping house in order ahead of the Aug. 5-21 Rio Olympics." A WADA task force has been "put in place to overhaul the suspended Russian Anti-Doping Agency" but Pound has seen "little movement towards compliance." Pound: "They are talking but they are not actually moving. WADA has a role, my guess is they will not be in position to say that RUSADA is compliant so all the pressure is going to get onto Seb Coe and the IAAF. I don't know where they stand with their task force but my guess is there will be lots of pressure on him to find a way to have the Russians in Rio" (REUTERS, 5/5).