RUSADA advised FFKKR to ensure work with figure skaters’ grandparents

The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) Director General Veronika Loginova told that the Russian Figure Skating Federation (FFKKR) should pay attention to working with the immediate relatives of athletes who are increasingly involved in cases of violations of anti-doping rules.

Earlier, the RUSADA press service reported that meldonium and sibutramine were found in the sample of 17-year-old figure skater Varvara Gorobchenko. Gorobchenko’s five-year exclusion period begins on May 15, 2023, and ends on May 14, 2028. After that, a post appeared on the social networks of the “Angels of Plushenko” Academy, according to which the skater left the academy long before the decision on disqualification for doping was made.

— The figure skater is a protected person because at the time of the anti-doping rule violation she was under eighteen years of age, was not included in the registered testing pool and did not participate in international sporting competitions. In accordance with RUSADA policy, we do not issue press releases regarding protected persons. However, in accordance with Article 17.3 of the All-Russian Anti-Doping Rules (ARA), information about the athlete, the period of ineligibility and the substances detected were indicated in the list of athletes pending ineligibility published on the RUSADA website.

We are forced to admit that we have recently faced the third case of anti-doping rule violations by minor athletes involved in figure skating. We have repeatedly spoken about the need to conduct large-scale educational work not only among young athletes, but also among their immediate environment. The federation’s leadership should pay special attention to working with athletes’ close relatives, especially grandparents, who are increasingly involved in cases of anti-doping rule violations. RUSADA is ready to hold a separate seminar for them.

But the main thing we want to emphasize once again is the principle of strict liability: the athlete is always responsible for everything that enters his body. The athlete’s sample contained two substances prohibited in sport: meldonium and sibutramine. The Anti-Doping Disciplinary Commission took into account all the elements provided by the defense and applied paragraph 12.4 of the OAP “aggravating circumstances” for the presence of two substances in the sample, which increased the standard four-year period of ineligibility by one year.

RUSADA employees, primarily the results processing department, complied with all the requirements of the standards. The closest entourage of the minor athlete did not exercise their right to appeal the DAK decision, which means that the athlete’s arguments have been exhausted, Loginova told .

TV Match

More sports news in our telegram channel .