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Leagues and Governing Bodies

WADA Under Fire After Lifting Ban On Russia

WADA "voted to remove sporting sanctions on Russia, ignoring a tidal wave of global criticism that the state has yet to atone for its state-sponsored drugs scandal," according to Tom Morgan of the London TELEGRAPH. Nine of 12 WADA execs "are said to have deemed Moscow compliant with global testing standards" just three years after widespread doping was exposed. WADA President Craig Reedie "dismissed intense criticism from sporting bodies by rubber-stamping Russia's return" during the committee meeting in the Seychelles. After the meeting, he said that the decision "provides a clear timeline by which WADA must be given access to the former Moscow laboratory data and samples," with a "clear commitment" to "reinstate non-compliance" if the terms are not met. U.K. Sports Minister Tracey Crouch, who was "forced to stand down" from WADA over Brexit, backed the UK Sport position that it would be "wrong to welcome" the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) back until it had "fully and transparently met" the original roadmap. Thursday's decision "effectively declares that Russia can be relied on to test its athletes properly." UK Sport Chair Katherine Grainger said, "What doping steals from athletes is irreplaceable and the integrity of sport and competition has to be protected to maintain public trust and support. This responsibility rests with leaders at every level." Paralympic champion Tanni Grey-Thompson said that she had "reservations" about the decision -- but added that she "felt sympathy for the clean athletes who had been banned as a result of the sanctions." Grey-Thompson: "No doubt thoughts have been given to the next Games and that in many sports the qualification period starts next year" (TELEGRAPH, 9/20).

'DISINGENUOUS' DECISION: United States Olympic Committee Chair Larry Probst said during the annual USOC Assembly in Colorado Springs, Colo., "[Skeleton racer] Katie Uhlaender competed in her fourth Olympics after being unfairly denied a medal in Sochi by a state-run doping machine that has still not been appropriately held to account. On that point, WADA and the IOC need to guarantee athletes that when they compete, it will be on a level playing field, without any compromises. Suggesting that Russia has lived up to its obligations is disingenuous and today's decision to reinstate RUSADA flies in the face of WADA's responsibility to clean athletes everywhere" (Ben Fischer, Staff Writer).

UNPOPULAR DECISION: In London, Sean Ingle reported the news means Russia will be "free to test its own athletes again and issue Therapeutic Use Exemption certificates." The decision "makes it more likely" that Russia's track and field athletes "will return to competing under the Russian flag, while the country is likely to start bidding for sporting events again too." WADA's critics "are furious that it has secretly shifted the goalposts" for the return of RUSADA -- "especially as Russia has still not accepted" that it was running a "massive" state-sponsored doping program across major events. They are "also angry" that Reedie and WADA Dir General Olivier Niggli "offered a secret compromise" to Russian Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov -- "which was only revealed when letters were leaked to the BBC" -- to "shift the goalposts to make it easier" for RUSADA to be "let back in." WADA's decision "was greeted with dismay" by Jim Walden, the lawyer for Russian doping whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov. Walden called on the U.S. Government "to stop funding" WADA. Walden: "WADA's decision to reinstate Russia represents the greatest treachery against clean athletes in Olympic history. The United States is wasting its money by continuing to fund WADA, which is obviously impotent to address Russia's state-sponsored doping" (GUARDIAN, 9/20).

'DEVASTATING BLOW': In N.Y., Mather & Panja reported United States Anti-Doping Agency Chair Edwin Moses said, "Having spoken to athletes, I know they overwhelmingly support the right decision being made in the Seychelles -- they overwhelmingly support WADA’s sticking to its roadmap." WADA VP Linda Helleland of Norway "announced before the decision that she would vote no." Beckie Scott, a former cross country skier from Canada, resigned from the WADA Compliance Review Committee "after it endorsed readmitting Russia." Scott: "I'm profoundly disappointed. I feel this was an opportunity for WADA and they have dealt a devastating blow to clean sport. I’m quite dismayed" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/20). In London, Lawrence Ostlere reported while many organizations including the IAAF "have spoken out against the move," WADA was backed by the "influential" IOC (INDEPENDENT, 9/20).

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