WADA Considers Reinstatement for Russia Anti-Doping

(ATR) A high profile member of the compliance review committee of the World Anti Doping Agency resigns as word spreads of a possible compromise with Russia that could lead to reinstatement of the country's anti-doping program.

Last week WADA released a statement attempting to clear up speculation about the recommendation of its independent compliance review committee. The CRC report will be delivered at a WADA executive committee meeting on Sept. 20 in the Seychelles. The statement said that the committee would recommend that the Russian Anti Doping Agency be reinstated at this week's meeting.

Soon after that announcement came the leak of correspondence between the Russian Sports Minister and WADA leadership. The documents show WADA and Russian officials coming to terms on reinstatement.

As the leaks started, WADA responded by releasing all of its correspondence with the Russians to provide context for the possible decision. The statement said WADA was "leading the drive," to make sure Russia implements the full roadmap to compliance, but said "leadership requires flexibility," justifying the clear compromise.

The compromise seems to go against the final two criteria that RUSADA was suppposed to fulfill to be declared compliant. The first is a full admission of the independent McLaren reports.The second point of compromise, the testing data from the Moscow lab, will be turned over to a third party for examination.

A letter from Craig Reedie to the Russian Minister of Sport, Pavel Kolobkov, dated June 22 offered Russia a compromise on publicly acknowledging the McLaren report. Reedie said if Russian acknowledged the findings of the IOC’s Schmid Commission, which examined the role of government in Russia's doping crisis.

"In order to move forward, and acknowledging that you have accepted the Schmid Commission, we again suggest that you confirm in writing the acceptance by Russia of the conclusion from the Schmid report that a number of individuals within the Ministry of Sport and its subordinated entities were involved in the scheme," Reedie wrote. "If provided in writing, this statement would be regarded by WADA as satisfying the first of the two unresolved conditions."

On the matter of the testing data from the Moscow lab, suspended since 2015, Russia agrees to turn over the results to a third party. While WADA had demanded the data ahead of a compliance decision, a strict time limit will be imposed to turn over the results. Miss the deadline, Russia will once again be cast out for non-compliance.

Athletes Speak Out, WADA Responds

Current and former athletes are lambasting the possible reinstatement.

Olympian Beckie Scott resigned her position on the compliance review committee following word of the possible reccommendation, but will stay on as chair of the WADA athlete’s commission.

United States Anti-Doping Agency chief executive Travis Tygart said the decision by WADA, done behind the scenes, "stinks to high heaven".

"Today, WADA has unequivocally told the world the type of organization it is: one that supports the desires of a handful of sports administrators over the rights of clean athletes." Tygart wrote in a statement. "It is a sad state of affairs for this one-time respected organization."

USADA chairman Edwin Moses wrote an OpEd in the New York Times saying that "WADA’s Credibility Rides on Its Russia Decision". Moses will attend the Executive Committee meeting in the Seychelles as chair of WADA’s education committee.

"Now, despite WADA’s change of heart, athletes and the public have still not seen public acknowledgment from Russia of its state-sponsored doping program (as required by WADA’s Russian road map), and there has still not been a visit by WADA officials to the laboratory to access urine samples," Moses wrote. "With those facts, what sort of confidence will WADA’s volte-face instill?"

Silke Kassner, a German athlete’s representative, in an interview to FAZ said that WADA leadership should postpone the decision on RUSADA given the new information.

"[The] whole process [is] much too intransparent and [done] at late notice," Kassner said.

WADA defends its actions to bring Russia back into the global fight against doping.

"WADA has been leading the drive to ensure that Russia meets the Roadmap in full," says the Sept. 15 release.

"The fact is that leadership requires flexibility. The proposals made in the leaked letter are grounded in pragmatism and are nuanced interpretations of the Roadmap in order to bring matters to a conclusion and to not allow the significant progress that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) has made over the last two years, under WADA’s supervision, to be undone," says the release.

Written by Aaron Bauer

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