The IAAF’s decision to give Russian Athletics the opportunity to get their house in order in time for next summer’s Olympic Games has been questioned by doping chiefs.
Lord Coe and members of the IAAF council have been accused of being too soft on the Russians by not hitting them with more severe sanctions for running a state-sponsored doping programme. They have been provisionally suspended but with the clear message that they can return if they are Wada code-compliant.
But the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organisations, who represent 53 members worldwide, echoed UK Athletics chief Ed Warner in calling for the ban to include the Rio Games come what may. A statement from INADO yesterday read: ‘Russia’s national federation for athletics and its athletes must be suspended from the 2016 Rio de Janeiro summer Olympic Games. The corruption in Russian athletics deserves no less.
‘ARAF have not demonstrated that they are capable of sending a clean team to Games. A strong deterrent message must be sent that national federations cannot participate in the highest levels of competition when anti-doping has been intentionally subverted.’
The IAAF have confirmed that they have also been investigating Kenya since March following allegations of doping and corruption.
Meanwhile, Russian marathon runner Viktor Ugarov has been disqualified after winning a race in Japan on Sunday — two days after his country was provisionally suspended by the IAAF. – Daily Mail