- Title: Russian anti-doping body fears missing WADA's deadline
- Date: 9th November 2018
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (NOVEMBER 9, 2018) (REUTERS) DIRECTOR OF RUSSIA'S ANTI-DOPING AGENCY 'RUSADA', YURI GANUS, AT NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) DIRECTOR OF RUSSIA'S ANTI-DOPING AGENCY 'RUSADA', YURI GANUS, SAYING: "There are procedural restrictions on access to the laboratory because, indeed, these restrictions are imposed due to the current criminal cases. But nobody understands and sees it, including the international community in particular which attacks and criticizes and continues to put pressure. There is a misunderstanding, a vacuum of information. And this is that kind of a situation which has been going on during the entire doping crisis, during three years." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) DIRECTOR OF RUSSIA'S ANTI-DOPING AGENCY 'RUSADA', YURI GANUS, SAYING: "When we are dragging this question out, we must understand that we dig a grave for ourselves. This is a problem. The issue of values is very serious. And we just postpone (to solve) it, we just keep silence. And if we keep silence, then what? If he keeps silence, then what? Then perhaps he is guilty, he has nothing to say." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) DIRECTOR OF RUSSIA'S ANTI-DOPING AGENCY 'RUSADA', YURI GANUS, SAYING: "There is a conservative position like: "Wait till (December) 31st, we will give you everything on the 31st. This is absolutely wrong." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) DIRECTOR OF RUSSIA'S ANTI-DOPING AGENCY 'RUSADA', YURI GANUS, SAYING: "If we don't fulfill any of the conditions now, I mean if access (to the laboratory) is not provided by December 31, it means a withdrawal. Yes, non-conformance is clear. But the most important is another thing - we will lose support of anybody for many years, we will lose trust." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
- Embargoed: 23rd November 2018 15:36
- Keywords: Russia doping Russia RUSADA doping allegations
- Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- City: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA00195SAOU7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The head of Russia's anti-doping body, RUSADA, Yuri Ganus said on Friday (November 9) he is worried that authorities in Moscow will prevent it meeting a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) deadline in order to stave off a renewed sporting ban.
WADA in September restored RUSADA's accreditation, in theory paving the way for Russia's re-admittance to major international sports events, after suspending it in 2015 following evidence of extensive and systematic state-sponsored doping and cover-ups.
Russia's readmission angered numerous sports bodies around the globe, but WADA stressed that a failure to allow access to stored urine samples at Moscow's discredited anti-doping laboratory by year-end would lead to a renewed ban. Russian Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov agreed to the condition, and WADA is due conduct an audit on Dec. 11-12.
But, speaking at a news conference in Moscow, RUSADA director Yuri Ganus said he was "concerned by developments around the access to the Moscow laboratory".
RUSADA has no control over the stored urine samples because the federal investigators of Russia's Investigative Committee are holding them for their own doping investigation.
The Committee has previously said it will cooperate with WADA, but was not immediately reachable for comment on Friday.
Ganus appealed to it to release the samples quickly. He said if Russia failed to meet the condition, it would lose trust for a long time, and face renewed bans from international competitions.
Most Russian competitors were barred from this year's Winter Olympics in South Korea, as well as last year's World Athletics Championships.
RUSADA's reinstatement had no immediate effect on current bans on the Russian athletics, weightlifting and Paralympics federations, but opened the door for their return in the future. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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