Where did it all start?
On German television ARD released at the end of 2014 documentary, dedicated to the use of doping by Russian athletes. In particular, the film uses a video featuring Olympic champion Maria Savinova, telling how, with the help of the doping drug oxandrolone, she manages to quickly restore strength. Also on the recording there is a certain person (according to the journalist, the champion’s coach Vladimir Kazarin) dispensing the medicine oxandrolone to the athletes. Although Savinova's face is not clearly visible in the video, and her confession is only a translation into German, the film caused a stir. World Anti-Doping Agency WADA announced an investigation into all cases of doping by Russian athletes mentioned in the film. In 2016, journalist Hajo Seppelt, the author of the film, admitted that all the documentary facts of the film are unreliable. The director's goal was to attract public attention to the use of doping drugs by athletes.
In early January, after accusations WADA in doping fraud, the former head of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory, Grigory Rodchenkov, moved to the United States for security reasons. And immediately after it became known about the death of the chairman of the executive board of RUSADA, Vyacheslav Sinev, who headed the department from 2008 to 2010. 10 days later, former executive director of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency Nikita Kamaev died.
In May 2016, The New York Times published Rodchenkov's statement. According to him, two weeks before the start of the Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014, the Russian Ministry of Sports approved the list of athletes included in the doping program. After this, laboratory staff, with the participation of intelligence services, replaced one hundred positive tests. Rodchenkov presented as evidence The New York Times emails from the Ministry of Sports. Vitaly Mutko appreciated the publication The New York Times as “a continuation of the information attack on Russian sports.”
WADA, On July 18, the World Anti-Doping Agency presented a report on the results of an investigation into the substitution of doping tests of Russian athletes at the Sochi Olympics.It follows from the report that the Ministry of Sports, together with anti-doping laboratories in Moscow and Sochi, as well as with the assistance of the FSB, participated in fraud with the test results of Russian athletes. Head of the Independent Commission WADA Richard McLaren emphasized that Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko was aware of the replacement of dirty doping tests with clean ones.
How were doping tests changed in Sochi?
On Olympic Games In 2014, additional doping controls were carried out in foreign countries. In order to commit fraud with the tests of athletes, the FSB decided to replace positive doping tests, for which a special technique was invented for opening sealed samples.
The opening method was demonstrated to specialists of an independent commission. During the investigation, samples from the Moscow and Sochi laboratories were checked, and traces of an autopsy were found on them. It also turned out that the DNA of the winner Olympic competitions does not match the DNA of her sample.
Positive doping tests were replaced with negative ones when there were no traces of doping in the athletes’ urine. From the Center sports training teams where the samples were stored, the FSB collected the urine and delivered it to Sochi.
As Rodchenkov stated, every day he received from the Ministry of Sports a list of athletes whose tests he needed to change. After that, at night, in the laboratory, Russian anti-doping experts and representatives of the special services exchanged dirty doping tests for clean ones. The test tubes, opened using FSB technology, were passed through a hole in the wall, the size of a fist.
In addition, Rodchenkov admitted that he had developed a doping “cocktail” consisting of three prohibited drugs (methenolone, trenbolone and oxandrolone) and alcohol (whiskey or martini). This mixture was called "Duchess". Russian athletes rinsed their mouths with it. At least 15 Russian medalists used such doping.
What does the WADA report threaten?
Let us recall that in November 2015, following an investigationindependent commission of WADA under the leadership of Dick Pound, the Russian national team athletics have already been suspended from participating in the Rio Olympics. In this context, the report WADA may result in the exclusion of athletes and other sports from the Olympic Games.
The head of the independent commission, Richard McLaren, clarified that WADA there is no authority not to recommend a country to participate in the Olympics. However Ben Nichols, commission spokesman, announced “that the anti-doping agency is calling on the international sporting community to ban Russian athletes participate in international competitions, including the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil. This ban, according to WADA, should remain in effect until the “culture changes,” RBC reports.
The final decision regarding the participation of the Russian team in the Rio Olympics can be made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The head of the committee, Thomas Bach, announced his intention to take the toughest sanctions against individuals and organizations involved in doping fraud.
A number of countries are also against Russia’s participation in the Olympics. These include Austria, Canada, USA, Spain, Germany, Switzerland and Japan.
How do people in Russia react to the results of the investigation?
In a statement published on the Kremlin website, Vladimir Putin asked WADA to provide “more complete, objective, fact-based information to be taken into account in the investigation by Russian law enforcement and investigative authorities.”
Putin also promised to suspend the direct perpetrators of the forgery until the end of the investigation. According to the investigation WADA, direct and participants in sample falsification are Advisor to the Minister of Sports Natalya Zhelanova, Head of the Department of Medical and Research Programs of the Russian Olympic Committee Irina Rodionova, Employee of the Russian Sports Training Center (TSSP) Alexey Velikodny, Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Education of the Ministry of Sports Avak Abalyan. Although, according to Richard McLaren, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko was aware of all the frauds, there is no talk of his resignation. Presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov explained that “Mutko is not mentioned in the report as a direct executor,”
— Russian s athletes lost the opportunity to compete at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro based on a report by Richard McLaren. This report, as now noted WADA, does not meet many criteria and cannot be the basis for bringing forward a number of charges...
- If you remember, in the case of Rio, the issue of eligibility was transferred to various international federations - on the basis that they were probably better aware of the doping status of the athletes. The IOC received the recommendations, and a panel of three members of the executive board unanimously made a decision, but based on the relevant findings.
— Why was the principle of collective responsibility applied to Russia, which was not considered in relation to other countries whose athletes were accused of doping?
- With the same amount of evidence that we have in relation to Russia, this principle would be applied to other countries. In the case of Russia, the situation is as if a driver on the freeway was stopped for speeding, and he said to the policeman: “Why did you stop me? There are a lot of people going faster than me here!” The answer is: “Perhaps. And someday we will catch them too. But now you’ve been caught.”
- What is being done to catch them? We only hear discussions about “what to do to stop Russia”, about how Russia is to blame. In all this, if you like, the “persecution of violators” is now carried out only in relation to Russia. It feels like no one else is exposed to this.
“Russia is now in the spotlight. Trying in the media to present everything as if this problem is not in Russia, but in the IOC or WADA, is fundamentally wrong. Russia has a problem with doping. At least a general ban was introduced for track and field athletes, and given the situation, I think that’s right. I also agree with the similar decision of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
Many federations were hopelessly compromised by their relations with Russia. For example, for major officials of the International Association of Athletics Federations it was important to hold many events and championships in Russia - that is, the assessment of athletes was uneven.
It seems to me that they handled this very well in rowing, but has at least one judoist been banned? Can you guess why? Who is the honorary president of the International Judo Federation?
— Do you think that there are deeper problems with the federations themselves? I wanted to point out that International Union biathletes ( IBU) called the McLaren report controversial and closed 22 of the 29 open cases. As a result, sports federations make such statements, while the McLaren report talks about a thousand athletes, but no confirmation has appeared. Do you think the federations are simply trying to hush up doping scandals in their sports?
— From experience, I can say that international federations as a group approach the detection of positive doping tests without enthusiasm. But now WADA has received a database, to which McLaren, according to him, was not given access. The agency is studying it and, I believe, sees that everything is exactly as McLaren said, if only they get evidence. You may find drug test records that are against you—tests that were positive but then reported negative. And this is only possible if there is a well-developed scheme.
— Head of the Compliance CommitteeWADAJonathan Taylor said that RUSADA cannot be reinstated without recognizing the McLaren report.
— The Russian anti-doping agency accepted almost everything that was said in the McLaren report, but does not agree with the accusations that a certain doping program was carried out with state support. There is no evidence of this, but for RUSADA it arises vicious circle. Is the agency expected to admit guilt for something for which there is no concrete evidence?
— A “road map” was discussed with the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, and it agreed to it. Agreed to provide access to this database and samples held because a criminal investigation is ongoing. Agreed to take responsibility for the system of state support for the use of doping and provide access to closed cities. These were the agreements.
- But there is such a principle as the burden of proof— the rule of distribution among the participants in the process of responsibility to substantiate the presence of certain circumstances essential to the resolution of the case.
— I’m ready to repeat: these were the agreements. But they do not want to admit the existence of a system of state support for the use of doping. They agreed to this, and now they are trying to back down.
— As evidence, the testimony of informants is given - Grigory Rodchenkov and those who still remain anonymous. But it is not customary to consider this kind of information in court. Why then did they make an exception in this case?
“This is entirely acceptable when the physical safety of witnesses is at risk.” Many courts provide for this possibility.
— Rodchenkov said he was forced to participate in a state-sponsored doping program. But it should be noted that participation in the activities of RUSADA and doping schemes brought him a lot of money. Why do you think he didn't make his revealing statements earlier?
— In the period before the Olympic Games in Sochi, Rodchenkov was part of the system. Then, after the publication of the report of the commission I headed, he lost his post as head of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory. Subsequently, he became aware of the death of first one, and then - less than two weeks later - the second of his predecessors in this position. Suspecting that things were not going well for him, he decided to leave the country.
Regarding his incriminating statements, I familiarized myself with Grigory’s testimony as part of our commission’s investigation. It follows from them that he was part of the system and was in no hurry to shed light on the violations being committed - and this is not surprising... He was well aware of the violations.
There were two more informants. They occupied low positions and were very well prepared, and their words were largely credible, as was Rodchenkov's testimony. However, McLaren did not take his words at face value - all the information coming from him was compared with the testimony of other witnesses, information from documents and other sources, and only then was regarded as reliable.
— Rodchenkov’s testimony formed the basis for the McLaren report and statements about the existence in Russia of a state system of supporting doping in sports...
— Testimony, as well as documents.
“But, in addition, it is alleged that FSB officers opened containers with doping samples and replaced their contents. The Berlinger company, their manufacturer, stated that it was impossible to open them without leaving physical traces of the opening.
— The company is absolutely right. Physical traces were found. When examining containers that were opened to replace their contents, scratches were discovered. If you know what you're looking for, they're very easy to spot. There could only be one reason for the appearance of such traces: they were opened. Why would they open them?
— Returning to the Olympics in Sochi: 20 international observers were present at the Olympics, monitoring the doping tests. Why didn't any of them pay attention to this? After all, that was their job, wasn’t it?
— The change occurred late at night. Through part of a laboratory controlled by the FSB, to which no one else had access. Through a hole in the wall. The director of the anti-doping laboratory from Montreal (or from Rome, or wherever) was not in the building at that time. This is not surprising - the laboratory director’s responsibilities do not include catching FSB officers, who are also there under the guise of maintenance personnel.
— If what you say actually happened, it turns out that the laboratory made a serious omission in ensuring the safe storage of doping samples.
- Yes. And the problem is that this omission was intentional. That's the problem.
— You are a representative of the International Olympic Committee. It must be admitted that the McLaren report raises certain questions. Is it in the spirit of the Olympic Games to have such large-scale suspensions based on a report that many sporting bodies say is flawed?
— The decision to suspend the athletes was made by the IOC disciplinary commission under the leadership of Denis Oswald on the basis of specific and sufficient evidence. Sports arbitration court upheld these decisions. This is not about any persecution - rather about following the rules. If you break the rules, you will be punished.
— You emphasized that the decision was not politically motivated. Nevertheless, it seems that decisions made in sports are largely political in nature. What do you say to this?
- In my opinion, this is not so - at least in this case. In sport there is a place for geopolitical and political considerations, the desire for equality between continents and gender balance. All this is taken into account when choosing venues. sporting events. But this does not hide lobbying for the interests of a particular capital. It's not that some countries have privileges and others don't.
— You’ve been in sports for a long time, you know how everything works administratively. It is difficult to remember a time when such close attention was previously focused exclusively on Russia in connection with doping. Despite another scandal in Kenya and to claims that many British cyclists suffer from asthma, these athletes receive far less attention than Russian ones. Why?
“We have clear evidence of government-sponsored fraud.” This is unacceptable.
— Despite the fact that McLaren’s report raises questions and there is no significant evidence, you still claim that doping is supported at the state level in Russia.
- Yes. In my opinion, there was a lot of evidence of this, but not enough for McLaren to have grounds to blame specific athletes, but he did not do so. He noted: “I don’t have that information, but there are records indicating that they were on the list of protected athletes.” McLaren made no findings beyond his reasonable doubt, which is one of the standards of proof in criminal proceedings.
Thus, I believe that the McLaren report was mishandled: the IOC members, instead of taking note of this information and saying: “Thank you for shining a light on all these irregularities,” brushed off the report and called McLaren’s conclusions “allegations.” This is quite disrespectful to an extremely experienced arbitrator who has conducted numerous investigations.
For two years, after traces of cocaine were found in his doping test. "SE" recalls the most resonant cases when Russian football players disqualified or attempted to disqualify for doping.
Preparation: nandrolone
Disqualification period: 2 years
The doping scandal put an end to the career of one of the most talented Russian football players of the 90s. In May 1999, a decent dose of the anabolic nandrolone was found in the midfielder’s blood. A couple of months before this, Shalimov ended up in the intensive care unit of one of the Moscow hospitals with internal bleeding. The footballer suspected that a prohibited drug had entered his body during treatment, but an analysis of the drugs used by doctors did not reveal anything criminal. According to another version, doping could have gotten into Shalimov’s blood at Napoli itself - after matches, team doctors periodically gave the players IVs with sugar and vitamin C. The most exotic guess was the statement of one of the Italian journalists that the source of nandrolone could be a drug for... hair loss . One way or another, in the beginning of the fierce fight against doping in Series A, the Russian’s case became indicative and the verdict on it turned out to be incredibly harsh - two years of disqualification. Shalimov was unable to resume his career after the end of his term.
Preparation: marijuana
Disqualification period: 2 months
Alexander RYCHKOV (left). Photo by Efim SHAINSKY, "SE"
Another Russian legionnaire, Alexander Rychkov, was luckier than Shalimov - he “got off” with two months of disqualification and expulsion from. In the winter of 1996, traces of marijuana were found in the midfielder’s blood. He himself insisted that it was all his friend’s fault, who added “grass” to the cake as a joke, but the French anti-doping fighters did not believe this explanation.
Preparation: bromantane
Disqualification period: 1 year
While Egor TITOV (right) was serving his disqualification, he played with Nikolai TRUBACH for the “Artist” team. Photo by Alexander VILF
Now we know that it was not only Yegor Titov who took the ill-fated bromantane in Spartak 2003, but it so happened that the captain of the red and white had to answer for everyone. Sample of the Russian national team midfielder, taken after the first play-off match with Wales for the right to play at Euro 2004, gave positive effect. UEFA did not understand the intricacies of the internal club politics of the then Spartak and disqualified Titov for a year. The midfielder stoically endured this punishment and in the 2005 season returned to his native club and even played several matches for the Russian national team.
Preparation: marijuana
Disqualification period: 8 months
The leader of the Vladivostok "Lucha-Energiya" was caught using marijuana in the fall of 2006. His punishment was slightly more severe than that of Rychkov’s “predecessor” - the forward was suspended from football for 8 months. But the Vladivostok club did not break the contract with Tikhonovetsky. He served his disqualification, repented of his offense and played for Luch-Energia for several seasons. The main consequence of the marijuana story was... an unprecedented increase in Tikhonovetsky’s popularity on the Internet. For some time, the name of the attacker turned into a real network meme.
Preparation: furosemide
Disqualification period: 10 months
Arthur NIGMATULLIN. Photo by Alexey IVANOV, "SE"
CSKA reserve goalkeeper Artur Nigmatullin was caught for doping in the winter of 2010. The army team was preparing for the Champions League playoffs, so it was not surprising that UEFA specialists periodically came to their training camps with checks. During one of these visits, furosemide was found in Nigmatullin’s blood, a drug that is usually used to remove more serious doping from the body. The young goalkeeper explained that he took several diet pills on the advice of... his grandmother. UEFA officials did not approve of Grandma’s drug and ordered the goalkeeper to be out of football for 10 months. After the disqualification ended, CSKA loaned Nigmatullin to Mordovia.
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Preparation: sudafed
Disqualification period: 1 match
Alexey BEREZUTSKY and Sergey IGNASHEVICH. Photo by Alexander FEDOROV, "SE"
At the beginning of December 2009, when CSKA was fighting to leave the Champions League group, the news broke out like a bolt from the blue that two leading defenders of the army team, Sergei Ignashevich and Alexei Berezutsky, were temporarily suspended from matches by a decision of UEFA. Sudafed was found in the blood of both players. It turned out that the army team suffered due to a technical error by the doctors, who forgot to enter information in a special form that Ignashevich and Alexey Berezutsky were treated for a cold with this drug. As a result, CSKA entered the decisive match against Besiktas without two key players, but still managed to snatch a victory and earn a ticket to the 1/8 finals. A little later, UEFA took into account all the circumstances of the case and handed both players a purely symbolic disqualification for one match, which they had already served, missing the game with Besiktas.
Kamila ALEXEEVA, Ekaterina MASLAK
Preparation: furosemide
Disqualification period: 2 years
The names of these two football players were included in the very report of Richard McLaren, replete with sensational revelations of Russian sports. Indeed, furosemide was found in the blood of Kamila Alekseeva and Ekaterina Maslak in 2014 and 2015, however, contrary to McLaren’s statements, no one began to hide these samples. Both players were punished: they received a two-year disqualification. Maslak’s suspension ended in October, and Alekseeva’s suspension expires in March 2017.
Swedish skier Kalle Halvarsson commented on the victory of Russian Evgeniy Belov in the 15-kilometer individual freestyle race at the World Cup in Davos. – I don’t think anything about it. He was allowed to be here and compete, so everything is as it is.
– Is this an unpleasant situation?
- Yes. You never look forward to what... No, it’s not cool to compete with those who were suspended for doping. But there are rules that they can come back and compete, so you have to accept that,” Halvarsson said.
Markus Kramer: “Halvarsson needs to focus on himself and train better”
Russian national team coach ski racing Markus Kramer expressed bewilderment at the words of Swede Kalle Halvarsson to Russian Evgeniy Belov.Belov today won the 15-kilometer individual freestyle race at the World Cup in Davos.
Halvarsson, who finished 16th, mentioned the Russian’s suspension from competition last season.
“I don’t understand why he says that. In my opinion, this is simply ridiculous! None of our skiers have ever tested positive for doping.
Calla should probably focus on himself and make sure he trains better... No, it’s obvious that he doesn’t know how to lose,” Kramer said.
Martin Jonsrud Sundby: “Belov is a good guy and a great skier”
Norwegian skier Martin Jonsrud Sundby does not believe that Evgeni Belov's temporary suspension from World Cup racing in any way detracts from sporting achievements Russian.
“It's one of those stories that we wonder about... I don't know if there's more to say about it. I think Belov is a good guy and a great skier,” Sundby said.
Belov was suspected of violating anti-doping rules at Sochi 2014 based on the testimony of the former head of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory Grigory Rodchenkov and the report of Richard McLaren. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found the Russian not guilty.
Belov was temporarily suspended by the FIS from competitions, but after a decision by CAS the suspension was lifted.
Amendments to anti-doping legislation are planned to apply not only to coaches, but also to instructors, doctors and other personnel interacting with the athlete. Each of them can be suspended from work if the fact of manipulation with a prohibited drug is established even outside the competitive period. Such norms are contained in a bill submitted to the State Duma, the second reading of which is scheduled for early December. At the same time, deputies will consider the initiative to create an industry certification system sports trainers. The Ministry of Sports told Izvestia that they support both innovations. Experts believe that solving the problem requires, first of all, effective law enforcement and “anti-doping education.”
The State Duma is preparing for the second reading two draft amendments amending the law “On Physical Culture and Sports in Russian Federation" Both were introduced in September 2017 by deputies from the LDPR, and later supported by the relevant committee, parliamentarians from other factions and the Ministry of Sports. At the same time, the authors of the documents were recommended to finalize them. The amendments are already ready, and the projects are scheduled to be considered at a meeting of the chamber in December.
The initiative to suspend coaches from work for violating Russian and international anti-doping rules implies three reasons for making such a decision. The first is if the mentor is found in possession of a prohibited drug or it is proven that he distributed it (both during and outside of competitions). The second is an attempt to falsify control samples, and the third is if “facts of intentional complicity” in the use of doping by an athlete are established.
In November, the government made its additions to the bill, proposing to expand the Labor Code with a similar provision. Also, amendments (Izvestia has them) were prepared by one of the authors of the project, Dmitry Svishchev (LDPR) and Valery Gazzaev (A Just Russia). Deputies proposed to include in the list of those who are subject to the law, “other specialists in the field physical culture and sports." As practice shows, anti-doping rules are often violated by instructors, sports medicine specialists or other athlete personnel, parliamentarians said.
The second bill is aimed at creating a certification system for coaches, including Russian national teams. There are three categories: second, first and highest. The criteria by which certification will be carried out will have to be approved by the Ministry of Sports. The decision to award a certificate will be made by regional executive authorities and all-Russian sports federations.
The adoption of the proposed standards will allow us to move forward along the path of increasing the level of professional skills of trainers, the effectiveness of their activities, and also, importantly, attracting young personnel to the industry, one of the authors of the project, deputy Dmitry Svishchev, emphasized in a conversation with Izvestia.
He said that for the second reading of the bill, the Ministry of Sports, together with parliamentarians and the professional community, prepared a number of amendments to it. Thus, it is proposed to certify not only trainers, but also other industry specialists. The Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation must subsequently approve their list, as well as qualification requirements and the procedure for assigning categories. The assignment of the lowest - second - category can be entrusted to local governments. In addition, the possibility of introducing an additional qualification category is being discussed.
The deputy emphasized that both bills are aimed at improving Russian sports legislation and bringing it into line with world practice.
The Ministry of Sports supports both projects and is interested in their adoption, Deputy Head of the Department Natalya Parshikova told Izvestia.
The bills are very important and relevant. The initiative to certify trainers is in accordance with the instructions of the president and will allow the industry to develop. The anti-doping rule is also overdue and will allow us to improve anti-doping measures in accordance with the plan developed by the independent public anti-doping commission, explained the Deputy Minister.
The problem of doping cannot be solved only by changing the legislation - this is a matter of law enforcement, Anatoly Peskov, a teacher at the Russian International Olympic University and a member of the board of directors of the International Association of Sports Law, is convinced. First of all, we need to put things in order sports clubs and federations, apply existing norms and “instill” complete rejection of doping, the expert believes.
