Russia’s sports ministry sent an internal memo instructing staff of national training centers "not to tip off athletes about doping tests," in what three leading int'l anti-doping specialists said was a "rare Russian acknowledgement of methods used in the past to hide drug-taking." As part of an investigation into alleged state-sponsored doping in Russian athletics, a '15 commission set up by WADA found that athletes were "given advance notice of out-of-competition testing, which helped drug cheats evade detection" (REUTERS, 7/2).
SANZAAR will hold its last meeting in Singapore on Tuesday before "assembling in September to make the tough calls on the future of Super Rugby," but all indications are that "more of the same" can be expected. Rugby Australia, which will be represented by CEO Raelene Castle and Deputy Chair Brett Robinson, has done months of "war-gaming" ahead of the meeting in September, including polling 800 fans, but "when push comes to shove in SANZAAR politics," it is "clear that the Australians are not masters of their own destiny" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 7/3).
The Formula 1 season will start a week earlier next year after Australian Grand Prix organizers announced the event will take place from March 14-17. F1 has started on the final weekend in March for the past few seasons to benefit from time zone changes and increased European audiences. The earlier date will "help with fixture congestion in the mid-summer months" (BBC, 7/2).
