WADA wants to review the cases of Russian athletes

The World Anti-Doping Agency has turned to international sports federations.

The World Anti-Doping Agency has called for an investigation into anti-doping cases of athletes from Russia. With such an appeal to international sports federations, the head of WADA, Olivier Niggli, responded.

According to the Associated Press, the reason is the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne. There, the cases of kayaker Alexander Dyachenko, Olympic champion in 2012, and canoeist Nikolai Lipkin, multiple world champion, were re-examined and decided to disqualify them for four years.

Paralympic kayaker Alexandra Dupik was also disqualified for two years. Themis made this decision because of the athletes ’participation in the doping program, which was conducted with the knowledge of the Russian authorities 8 years ago.

Note that WADA opened a case based on doping samples from a laboratory in Moscow. Since 2019, the agency has shared data with approximately 40 other sports organizations. Now WADA wants the federations to reconsider the doping cases of other athletes from Russia.

“It sets a precedent. If they have that kind of evidence, they should file a criminal case,” Niggli said.

At the same time, the World Anti-Doping Agency doubts that the leadership of some federations will want to investigate athletes from the Russian Federation, who have typically ended their sporting careers.

At the same time, the cases against Dyachenko, Lipkin and Dupik were only considered by the CAS after WADA appealed the International Canoe Federation’s refusal to initiate a criminal case using the provided evidence.

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