German media: Russia continues to violate anti-doping rules
Russia continues to not fulfill the requirements of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) on the fight against doping. An ARD correspondent, Hajo Seppelt, who has been investigating this issue, came to this conclusion. His movie Doping Top Secret: Russia’s Red Herrings, which has become the third part of the investigation dedicated to doping problems in Russian athletic programs, was broadcast on the 6th of March.
The documentary claims that the acting head of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), Anna Antseliovich, had told female athletes when the doping tests would take place. Further, a coach, Vladimir Mohnev, who was suspended from working with athletes for life by the IAFF due to doping scams, continues to train athletes in Russia.
It was also revealed how another coach, Yuri Gordeev, not only trained young athletes in Penza, but allegedly also took on the job of selling doping drugs.
According to Seppelt, doping control in Russia became a farce a long time ago. One of the participants discussed in the video, the Minister of Sport, Vitaly Mutko, has already reacted to this documentary. Having called the previous accusations against Russian athletics groundless and politicized, he stated in his interview with TASS that the new investigation of Seppelt is an attempt to influence those organizations that have to make important decisions.
The doping scandal in Russian athletics will be discussed on the 10th of March at an IAAF Council meeting in Monte-Carlo. The organization has already stated in a letter sent to ARD, that the accusations that were set out in the film will be carefully checked and discussed with Russia, the DPA Agency reported.
According to Hajo Seppelt, the future of Russian athletics looks very grim. “Based on what we know today, Russian athletes shouldn’t be allowed to participate at the 2016 Summer Olympics,” the Director of the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations (INADO), Joseph de Pencier said in the documentary.