The World Anti-Doping Association has called for a ban on Russian athletes until the country addresses the accusations on Monday. This could lead to major ramifications around the world.
Here’s a look at what could happen in the future.
Lifetime bans
In the report, WADA recommends lifetime bans of five athletes, five coaches and one doctor who participated in the doping scandal.
The International Association of Athletics Federation, the governing body for track and field, issues the bans for the sport. President Sebastian Coe called the report “alarming” in a statement, and has given the Russian government until Friday to respond to the allegations before deciding whether or not to take sanctions against Russia or the athletes.
READ MORE: How the Russians got away with doping, according to the WADA
This “could lead to a provisional suspension” that would bar Russian track-and-field athletes from international competition, including the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Coe doesn’t mention whether or not the provision suspensions could turn into lifetime bans.
Historically, lifetime bans have come after athletes fail drug tests. Canadian track-and-field athlete Ben Johnson, who was stripped of his 1988 Olympic medals, was banned by the IAAF in 1993 after multiple failed drug tests. It’s not yet clear whether allegations from the report, which is based off of whistleblowers and recorded conversations, will be enough to recommend lifetime bans.
London 2012 Olympics
In its report, WADA claimed the 2012 Olympics in London were, “in a sense, sabotaged by the admission of athletes who should have not been competing.” The report states the athletes would have been prevented from competing if the IAAF, under former president Lamine Diack, as well as All-Russia Athletics Federations and Russian National Anti-Doping Agency, didn’t display an “inexplicable laissez-fair policy.”
2012 Olympic 800m champion Mariya Savinova-Farnosova and bronze medalist Ekaterina Poistogova were two of the athletes recommended for a lifetime ban from the sport.
The question now is: will they be stripped of their medals?
That decision lies with the IOC and the IAAF.
There are already many athletes who have been asked to return their Olympic medals since the games three years ago. But as in the case of lifetime bans, athletes tested positive for PEDs.
The accusations against Russian athletes have been public since Dec. 2014 when a German documentary titled Top Secret Doping: How Russia makes its Winners aired.
As stated above, the WADA report only states it is “highly likely” the athletes were using drugs, which may not be enough evidence to take their medals away from them.
It’s worth noting that the report doesn’t suggest stripping the accused athletes of their medals.
It’s not just the medals that are being called into question. Since a track and field athlete must first qualify before entering the finals, some athletes said they missed a chance at the final because of the scandal.
READ MORE: Canadian track and field athletes applaud WADA’s crackdown on Russians
Canadian Hilary Stellingwerff missed qualifying for the women’s 1,500-metre final at the 2012 London Olympics by just one spot.
Two Russian athletes, who are mentioned in the WADA report, qualified for the final, though neither of them medaled.
“I was so gutted in London to miss the final by just a hair, because I knew that there were girls in there that shouldn’t be,” Canadian athlete Hilary Stellingwerff told the Canadian Press.
Rio 2016 Olympics
A ban on all Russian track-and-field athletes would mean they might not be allowed in the games, unless Russia cracks down on doping.
“This is a deeply shocking report and very saddening for the world of sport,” the International Olympic Committee wrote in a statement on Monday.
“The IOC trusts that the new leadership of the IAAF with its president Sebastian Coe will draw all the necessary conclusions and will take all the necessary measures.”
Since the IAAF is waiting for Russia to respond to the accusations, it’s simply too early to tell whether the scandal will affect the 2016 Olympic games.
Historically, countries have been banned from the Olympic Games by the IOC, but only for political reasons. After the Second World War, Japan and Germany were suspended from the 1948 games, and in 1964, South Africa was banned for not condemning Apartheid.
FIFA 2018 world cup
The report says Vitaly Mutko, the long-standing Russian sports minister, FIFA executive committee member and chairman of the Russia 2018 local organizing committee was complicit in the scandal, which has been called worse than the FIFA scandal earlier this year.
People are calling for Mutko’s resignation, which leaves the fate of the soccer tournament up in the air.
Mutko denied the accusations, though, and said Russia was being persecuted over doping, claiming, “whatever we do, everything is bad.”
Global Investigation
Interpol announced it will coordinate a global investigation into suspected corruption and doping in athletics.
Officials at the international police agency said WADA requested assistance during the investigation. They also said French police “raided premises belonging to individuals and companies” last week.
The agency plans to coordinate with other countries to create a global investigative network to pursue a criminal investigation.
So far, there are no words on the types of charges that may be laid.
—-
With files from the Associated Press and the Canadian Press.
Comments