Russian Sports Minister Says National Anti-Doping Authority Skipped Lab Data Handover

Russian Sports Minister Says National Anti-Doping Authority Skipped Lab Data Handover

Russia's anti-doping agency RUSADA did not show up for the handover of Moscow lab data to the global authority WADA, Russian Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov said Monday

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th December, 2019) Russia's anti-doping agency RUSADA did not show up for the handover of Moscow lab data to the global authority WADA, Russian Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov said Monday.

RUSADA was declared non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Agency's code in 2015 over a scandal involving its Moscow lab. It was reinstated last year on condition that the now defunct lab's database would be handed over for scrutiny to the Compliance Review Committee (CRC).

"According to WADA's decision, the database was to be provided to it in cooperation with RUSADA. But [RUSADA boss Yuri Ganus] was not eager to take part in this process," Kolobkov told reporters.

Ganus said earlier in the day that the national agency had been blocked from the handover and kept updated only by WADA.

CRC concluded in November that the data extracted from the Moscow lab was neither full nor accurate. The 2019 copy of its database, it claimed, was very similar to the 2015 copy given to WADA by the lab's former chief Grigory Rodchenkov, which triggered a massive scandal over suspected state-run doping cover-up in 2017.

Kolobkov argued that the database handed over to WADA in January "cannot be compared to Rodchenkov's database, which was obtained illegally, stolen by someone. It is beyond me why the accusations were based on it."

WADA's Executive Committee has agreed with the CRC's recommendation to ban Russia from hosting or sending national teams to major sports events for four years. Russian athletes that are deemed "clean" will be able to compete as neutrals.