Head of athletics federation hopes Russian team will compete in Rio

Record ID: 102357

  • Title: Head of athletics federation hopes Russian team will compete in Rio
  • Date: 23rd May 2016
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (MAY 23, 2016) (REUTERS) CSKA ATHLETICS INDOOR ARENA LETTERS READING (Russian) 'CSKA. ATHLETICS INDOOR ARENA' PICTURE OF ATHLETES ON ARENA WALL INDOOR ARENA ATHLETE PUTTING HURDLERS FEMALE ATHLETE STRETCHING VARIOUS OF ATHLETE RUNNING HURDLERS VARIOUS OF COACH AND GIRL TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) DMITRY SHLYAKHTIN, HEAD OF ALL-RUSSIAN ATHLETICS FEDERATION, SAYING: "My opinion is simple, I believe doping is a global problem but for some reasons the focus now is on Russia. I believe that if one wants to resolve these issues globally - they should be resolved through joint efforts, not through attacking one particular country and making it a castaway. Because today it's Russia, but tomorrow it will be another country. It's a matter of revealing these facts." VARIOUS OF YOUNG ATHLETES (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) DMITRY SHLYAKHTIN, HEAD OF ALL-RUSSIAN ATHLETICS FEDERATION, SAYING: "Doping is a part of the job of the old officials who dealt with it, and the impunity which existed at that period determined their behaviour and ability to resolve these issues. Of course we clearly understand that this problem cannot be solved within five minutes, but we have done and are doing now everything to make sure this will not happen again." VARIOUS OF ATHLETE TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) DMITRY SHLYAKHTIN, HEAD OF ALL-RUSSIAN ATHLETICS FEDERATION, SAYING: "I want our athletes, our guys who are now waiting and hoping for a positive decision, to be able to go to Rio and compete at the Olympics." YOUNG ATHLETE JUMPING YOUNG ATHLETE WARMING UP COACH AND YOUNG ATHLETE FEMALE ATHLETE REMOVING HURDLERS
  • Embargoed: 7th June 2016 14:55
  • Keywords: Russia sports athletics doping Moscow
  • Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
  • City: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA0014J12XQF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The Russian track and field team, which is currently banned from international competition due to doping violations, has a half decent chance of being allowed to compete in the 2016 Olympics, the head of the All-Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) Dmitry Shlyakhtin said on Monday (May 23).
    "I want our athletes, our guys who are now waiting and hoping for a positive decision, to be able to go to Rio and compete at the Olympics," Shlyakhtin said adding that he sees the chances of Russian athletes competing in Rio de Janeiro are 50 and 60 percent.
    Russia was suspended from world athletics in November following allegations of widespread and state-sponsored doping in a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report.
    "My opinion is simple, I believe doping is a global problem but for some reasons the focus now is on Russia. I believe that if one wants to resolve these issues globally - they should be resolved through joint efforts, not through attacking one particular country and making it a castaway. Because today it's Russia, but tomorrow it will be another country. It's a matter of revealing these facts," Shlyakhtin said.
    A decision concerning whether the ban will be lifted will be taken on June 17 in Vienna at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) congress.
    An inspection commission from the IAAF has already paid a few visits to Moscow this year, with their next trip planned for 25-27 May.
    Shlyakhtin, who was elected to his position in January after taking over from Valentin Balakhnichev, who was given a life suspension by the IAAF, said Russia's doping problems were caused by former athletics officials.
    "Doping is a part of the job of the old officials who dealt with it, and the impunity which existed at that period determined their behaviour and ability to resolve these issues. Of course we clearly understand that this problem cannot be solved within five minutes, but we have done and are doing now everything to make sure this will not happen again."
    The reputation of Russian sport has not improved since the former head of the Russian anti-doping laboratory in Moscow Grigory Rodchenkov gave an interview to the New York Times on May 12, where he accused Russia of carrying out a mass doping programme at the Sochi Olympics in 2014.
    Rodchenkov also said that leading Russian sportsmen, including track and field athletes, took banned substances in the build up to the 2012 Olympics in London.
    Lawyers for the Russian athletes are already looking at filing law suits against the New York Times for publishing Rodchenkov's allegations.
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