WADA is "flying to Russia in a fresh bid to access its drug laboratories," but insisted the nation "will not be allowed off the hook for missing a sanctions deal deadline," according to Tom Morgan of the London TELEGRAPH. Officials from the "beleaguered agency" will arrive in Mosow on Wednesday "amid calls to reinstate sanctions" against the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), which has already missed the Dec. 31 final date to provide full access to samples. A three-person WADA team is now scheduled to "access and extract data from the laboratory information management system" this week, the governing body claimed. However, WADA President Craig Reedie, who is facing demands from 16 national anti-doping bodies to get Russia suspended again, has "insisted the nation could be punished regardless of this week's mission." Reedie said, "This week's mission to Moscow is not only about us following due process and precedent. If the mission is successful in acquiring the data, it will break a long impasse and will potentially lead to many cases being actioned" (TELEGRAPH, 1/7). In London, Sean Ingle reported if RUSADA is suspended, it "would lead to Russia being banned from hosting sporting events." However, the latest news is "bound to be treated with scepticism from those in the anti-doping world" who continue to believe that WADA is "bending over backwards to help Russia." Last week, U.S. Anti-Doping CEO Travis Tygart blamed WADA for "being soft on Russia" and for having "concocted a secret deal" with the country's authorities in September to let RUSADA back in (GUARDIAN, 1/7). REUTERS' Keating & Rodionov reported Russian authorities "must also ensure" that any re-analysis of samples required by WADA, following review of the laboratory data, is completed by no later than June 30 (REUTERS, 1/7).
