Russia is "on the brink of a ban from the 2018 Winter Olympics that will cause diplomatic outrage in Moscow" after whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov provided "fresh damning evidence of state-sponsored doping" to the IOC, according to Harris & Draper of the London DAILY MAIL. Former Moscow lab boss Rodchenkov gave new affidavits to the IOC's Oswald and Schmid commissions, the two separate inquiries set up to investigate Russian doping, "so the IOC can deliberate on a possible Russian ban" from PyeongChang 2018. If they do not give his evidence "due weight" in their final reports, he will reportedly "make it public, in a potentially explosive move." Rodchenkov helped to "mastermind" the doping program and is in witness protection in the U.S., "in fear of his life." Two close friends from the Russian anti-doping world have already died in "mysterious circumstances." The Oswald Commission, led by Swiss lawyer Denis Oswald, is looking at specific cases from the 2014 Sochi Games and contacted Rodchenkov via U.S. federal authorities. Oswald gave Rodchenkov an initial deadline of Nov. 6 to provide details of specific athletes who were part of a doping program. However, there was reportedly "a sudden change of timetable" on Oct. 27, when the Oswald Commission told Rodchenkov that his detailed statement, providing evidence on scores of athletes and how they doped, would need to be "presented immediately or risk not being considered." Rodchenkov and his lawyers worked through that night to ensure a detailed assessment of the doping program and the athletes involved was with the commission on Oct. 28. Rodchenkov has consistently said that the Russian doping conspiracy was funded and organized by the office of then-Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, now the deputy PM of Russia. Mutko has "repeatedly denied any involvement," as has Russian President Vladimir Putin, "vehemently" (DAILY MAIL, 11/11).
RUSSIAN FILES: The AP's Eddie Pells reported WADA "obtained files from a Moscow lab that contain data from a period when investigators say Russia ran a state-sponsored system designed to help Olympic athletes evade positive tests." The data is considered a "key piece of evidence" as the IOC "tries to determine the fate of Russian athletes for the upcoming Winter Olympics." A person familiar with the investigation said that the "newly gleaned data did not come from the Russian government." The person did not want to be identified because details of the investigation "were not supposed to be made public" (AP, 11/10).
