- Title: Russia officials admit sports doping, say not state-sponsored -NYT
- Date: 28th December 2016
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (MAY 24, 2016) (REUTERS) RUSSIAN ANTI-DOPING AGENCY (RUSADA) BUILDING SIGN READING (RUSSIAN): "(RUSADA) RUSSIAN ANTI-DOPING AGENCY" RUSSIAN ANTI-DOPING AGENCY (RUSADA) DIRECTOR GENERAL, ANNA ANTSELIOVICH, SPEAKING TO MEDIA JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN ANTI-DOPING AGENCY (RUSADA) DIRECTOR GENERAL, ANNA ANTSELIOVICH, SAYING: "In January we made an agreement with the British anti-doping agency which plans to test Russian sports people. We also made an agreement with private companies on selection of samples. These are the Swedish company DTM and the German one PWC. They make a selection of samples from the Russian sports people." ANNA ANTSELIOVICH'S HANDS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN ANTI-DOPING AGENCY (RUSADA) DIRECTOR GENERAL, ANNA ANTSELIOVICH, SAYING: "No, we didn't conduct an investigation. We decide to start everything from the very beginning. When we start working we will be given back the right to conduct tests. We will have new inspectors of doping control. So, we just decided to hire new people so nobody would have any doubts and everyone would trust our system of sample collection." JOURNALIST MAKING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN ANTI-DOPING AGENCY (RUSADA) DIRECTOR GENERAL, ANNA ANTSELIOVICH, SAYING: "We really want to build a new organisation which will be trusted by the international community, and whatever time it needs it will get it. The main thing is that nobody would have any questions regarding the organisation and that we would achieve a high level of development." GLASGOW, SCOTLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (NOVEMBER 20, 2016) (REUTERS) HEAD OF RUSSIAN DOPING COMMISSION, VITALY SMIRNOV, AT THE WORLD ANTI-DOPING AGENCY FOUNDATION BOARD MEETING SMIRNOV SURROUNDED BY MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) HEAD OF RUSSIAN DOPING COMMISSION, VITALY SMIRNOV, SAYING: (ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL TRANSLATION) "First of all because we know that this system (the alleged state-sponsored doping system) did not exist. So just to give you an example since 1970 I've been a part of the highest sports authorities of the Soviet Union and then Russia so it couldn't be possible for any decisions like this would have happened without me knowing." SMIRNOV TALKING TO MEDIA MOSCOW, RUSSIA (MAY 24, 2016) (REUTERS) RUSSIAN ANTI-DOPING CENTRE BUILDING ENTRANCE TO RUSSIAN ANTI-DOPING CENTRE RUSSIAN ANTI-DOPING CENTRE INTERIOR VARIOUS OF HEAD OF RUSSIAN ANTI-DOPING CENTRE, MARINA DIKUNETS, SHOWING SAMPLE STORAGE VARIOUS OF LABORATORY WHERE STAFF DO RE-ANALYSIS OF SAMPLES VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CONDUCTING BLOOD TESTS
- Embargoed: 12th January 2017 10:24
- Keywords: New York Times Russia Doping Olympics Sochi
- Location: VARIOUS
- City: VARIOUS
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Olympics,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA0015ESREX3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Russian officials for the first time have admitted to mass doping in the country's sports system but dismissed suggestions that the "institutional conspiracy" was state-sponsored, the New York Times reported.
The final part of the World Anti-Doping Agency's independent report into doping in Russia this month provided exhaustive evidence of an elaborate doping scheme but officials at the time denied it was a state-backed programme.
The report found more than 1,000 Russian competitors in more than 30 sports were involved in a conspiracy to conceal positive drug tests over a period of five years.
"It was an institutional conspiracy," Anna Antseliovich, the acting director general of Russia's anti-doping agency, told the New York Times, but added that top officials were not involved.
More than 100 Russian athletes were barred from competing at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro this year after the International Olympic Committee set criteria for Russian athletes to meet, including a clean doping past and sufficient testing at international events.
"From my point of view, as a former minister of sport, president of the Olympic committee - we made a lot of mistakes," Vitaly Smirnov, head of a new commission created to combat doping, was quoted as saying by the New York Times.
"We have to find those reasons why young sportsmen are taking doping, why they agree to be doped." - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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