The World Anti-Doping Agency has refused to lift its suspension of Russia’s anti-doping agency, jeopardizing Russia’s hopes of competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
In a decision reached Thursday during its meeting in Seoul, WADA said it was upholding its decision because Russia’s anti-doping agency, known as RUSADA, refuses to admit that Moscow conducted a state-sponsored doping program.
The program was uncovered in a report compiled by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren concerning allegations of a scheme to tamper with Russian athlete’s urine samples during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi in an attempt to hide doping positives.
WADA also demanded that RUSADA allow access to urine samples at its Moscow testing laboratory as a further condition of reinstatement.
Alexander Zhukov, the president of the Russian Olympic Committee, denied the existence of a state-sponsored doping program at Thursday’s meeting. Zhukov also added that an unconditional acceptance of the McLaren report is “impossible.
The decision could influence the International Olympic Committee to ban the full Russian team from next February’s Games in Pyeongchang. The IOC did not ban the Russian team from last year’s Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, leaving the decision to individual sports federations. The committee has banned six-cross country Russian skiers from the Pyeongchang Games.
The IOC will make a final decision at its executive board meeting next month.
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