Doping Whistleblower Under U.S. Control, Says Putin

(ATR) Russian President Vladimir Putin says former Moscow anti-doping lab director Grigory Rodchenkov is "under the control" of American authorities.

Putin addressed the situation with Rodchenkov during his annual end of the year press conference. The hours-long event, broadcast live across the country, brings hoards of journalists hoping to ask Putin direct questions.

"[He] is under the control and protection of the FBI, which is not a plus for us; it's a minus for us, which means that [he] works under the control of the U.S. intelligence agencies," Putin was quoted as saying by Ria Novosti. "What are they doing with him and what substances they are feeding him to make him say what they need to hear?

"He allegedly stated everything in his diaries. So what? When, where and how he was writing his diaries? Nobody knows and there is nothing to add."

Rodchenkov is the subject of a criminal investigation in Russia for his role as director of the Moscow anti-doping lab. His testimony given to independent investigator Richard McLaren and U.S. authorities formed the background of a World Anti-Doping Agency report on the Russian state run doping system. Rodchenkov also gave testimony to both the Oswald and Schmid IOC commissions investigating strategic manipulations at the Sochi 2014 anti-doping lab.

The IOC commissions concluded that Rodchenkov "spoke the truth" about the cover-up in Sochi, but stopped short at saying Russia had a state-run system. The IOC Executive Board handed Russia a number of sanctions including the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee and lifetime bans for government officials overseeing responsibilities of the Sochi lab. Putin’s answers attempted to contradict the findings by independent investigators and sowed doubt about Rodchenkov’s trustworthiness domestically.

Putin said the appointment of Rodchenkov to the Moscow lab was "nothing strange," but said it was a "mistake" for him to be appointed in the first place. He said that was not worth talking about who appointed Rodchenkov, but said Rodchenkov’s suicide attempt should have immediately disqualified him from his position.

"It means that they have psychological problems," Putin said as quoted by TASS. "It is inadmissible making decisions based on the testimony of such people."

Putin added that it was "strange" that Rodchenkov was continually able to smuggle in doping supplies to Russia to fuel the operation.

"How did he manage to clear Customs Services under such tight control?" Putin said. "He had been doing it for years. It certainly raises various questions."

The questions, according to Putin, are a vindication to Russian authorities that evidence presented by WADA alleging a state-run doping system was wrong. Even the IOC sanctions accepted by Russia were put in place to satisfy calls for harsher penalties, Putin said.

"There were no claims [of a state-run system] at all against us," Putin said. "Where did scratches come from and when? We respect the international sports federations and the World Anti-Doping Agency and most of all the International Olympic Committee, where we have many friends.

"But we understand that they are under pressure and intimidation. Even if they are forced to do something they should be basing their findings on unbiased facts."

Written by Aaron Bauer

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