- Title: Russian officials skeptical about new McLaren report
- Date: 9th December 2016
- Summary: SOCHI, RUSSIA (DECEMBER 9, 2016) (REUTERS) CARS DRIVING ON ROAD WITH SNOWY MOUNTAINS IN BACKGROUND SOCHI SKI JUMPING VENUE SIGN READING IN RUSSIAN 'SOCHI 2014' VARIOUS OF BOBSLEIGH TRACK MOSCOW, RUSSIA (DECEMBER 9, 2016) (REUTERS) DOUBLE OLYMPIC CHAMPION AND RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER, ALEXEI VOYEVODA, TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) DOUBLE OLYMPIC CHAMPION AND PARLIAMENT MEMBER, ALEXEI VOYEVODA, SAYING: "A person who lost would grab any possibility to say that it was not him who was weaker, but there was cheating on the other side. So it just makes me smirk." PIN ON VOYEVODA'S JACKET LAPEL (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) DOUBLE OLYMPIC CHAMPION AND PARLIAMENT MEMBER, ALEXEI VOYEVODA, SAYING: "On the one hand it hurts me that the most clean, the most white Winter Olympics, was smeared in dirt. This should not be done. And it causes a wry smile because it all turned into a Bond movie and I am waiting for the third part." RUSSIAN TRIPLE OLYMPIC CHAMPION AND PARLIAMENT MEMBER, SVETLANA ZHUROVA TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN TRIPLE OLYMPIC CHAMPION AND RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER, SVETLANA ZHUROVA, SAYING: "Even if there were some dirty practices I believe they were of a private nature - maybe between (Grigory) Rodchenkov and someone else. For money, due to corruption or plotting - it was done on a basis of an individual athlete, a single person in an isolated procedure. I do not have any basis to talk about a state policy. So you can see that there is no Rodchenkov and doping disappeared. This is my conclusion." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN TRIPLE OLYMPIC CHAMPION AND RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER, SVETLANA ZHUROVA, SAYING: "I also believe that WADA in many aspects will have to seriously review its methods in tightening its anti-doping measures, tightening its procedures and making them more accurate. So that the athletes first of all have faith in WADA, that everything is being equally for everyone and that athletes are protected from any falsification in any country, wherever they are and whichever special services try to interfere. An athlete, especially an honest one - wants to be sure that nothing can be stirred into his (sample)." JOURNALISTS IN HALL (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SOCCER PLAYER AND COACH, 1980 OLYMPICS BRONZE MEDALIST AND RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER, VALERY GAZAYEV, SAYING: "Unfortunately we will see more of such accusations. But nevertheless, there was nothing new said by McLaren today. So it is just another confirmation of the WADA anti-doping agency's specific approach to our country." SOCHI, RUSSIA (DECEMBER 9, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MOUNTAIN SKIING CENTRE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) HOLIDAY MAKER, SERGEI, SAYING: "It is almost impossible to change a probe that was already sealed off and accepted by WADA officers. I believe it is all lies. But I am almost 100 percent sure that everyone in professional sports is doping. There can be no top-class sport without stimulants. It is proven by the fact that western athletes get permission to use them by all means whether they have real or imaginary illnesses. And Russia is an outcast here. It is obviously a politics-based case." TOURISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) HOLIDAY MAKER, SERGEI, SAYING: "I think this is a political order. Doping is used in Russia and abroad to some extent. But there is (political) pressure (on Russian), we can feel it." VARIOUS OF SOCHI OLYMPIC VENUES
- Embargoed: 24th December 2016 14:09
- Keywords: Russia WADA McLaren report reaction officials athletes public doping
- Location: MOSCOW AND SOCHI, RUSSIA
- City: MOSCOW AND SOCHI, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Reuters ID: LVA0015C5VZ2F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Russian sports champions and parliament members on Friday (December 9) said the McLaren report failed to reveal new information that would prove a system of state-sponsored doping in Russia.
An independent report published on Friday and presented by Canadian sports lawyer Richard McLaren said more than 1,000 Russian athletes competing in summer, winter and paralympic sport were involved in or benefited from an institutional conspiracy to conceal positive doping tests.
"A person who lost would grab any possibility to say that it was not him who was weaker, but there was cheating on the other side. So it just makes me smirk," Russia's double gold winner Alexei Voyevoda told journalists, adding that Russian athletes fairly deserved all the medals won in Sochi.
"On the one hand it hurts me that the most clean, the most white Winter Olympics was smeared in dirt. This should not be done. And it causes a wry smile because it all turned into a Bond movie and I am waiting for the third part," Voyevoda said.
The second and final part of the report for WADA by McLaren provided more details of an elaborate state-sponsored doping scheme operated by Russia.
It said there was a systematic cover-up, which was refined at the 2012 Olympics, 2013 world athletics championships and 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, and that more than 30 sports, including soccer, were involved in concealing positive doping samples.
Russian Olympic champion and parliament member Svetlana Zhukova said she did not find strong evidence that would support doping allegations against Russia in the documents provided by McLaren team.
"Even if there were some dirty practices I believe they were of a private nature - maybe between (Grigory) Rodchenkov and someone else. For money, due to corruption or plotting - it was done on a basis of an individual athlete, a single person in an isolated procedure. I do not have any basis to talk about a state policy. So you can see that there is no Rodchenkov and doping disappeared. This is my conclusion," Zhurova said.
Zhurova also said the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has to go through changes to guarantee doping samples are not compromised in the future.
Former coach of Russian national soccer team and 1980 Olympic bronze champion Valery Gazayev said he believed there will be further accusations against Russia and that WADA's position was biased.
"Unfortunately we will see more of such accusations. But nevertheless, there was nothing new said by McLaren today. So it is just another confirmation of the WADA anti-doping agency's specific approach to our country," he said.
The report by Mclaren said four Sochi gold medallists had samples with physiologically impossible salt readings, while 12 Russian Sochi medallists had evidence of tampering with the bottles containing their urine samples.
Many Russians do not believe the findings to be true.
"It is almost impossible to change a probe that was already sealed off and accepted by WADA officers. I believe it is all lies. But I am almost 100 percent sure that everyone in professional sports is doping. There can be no top-class sport without stimulants. It is proven by the fact that western athletes get permission to use them by all means whether they have real or imaginary illnesses. And Russia is an outcast here. It is obviously a politics-based case," a holiday maker in Sochi told Reuters.
"I think this is a political order. Doping is used in Russia and abroad to some extent. But there is (political) pressure (on Russian), we can feel it," another holiday maker Sergei said.
Russia's Sports Ministry on Friday denied accusations made by the WADA that the Russian state had covered up a doping programme for its sports people.
The Russian ministry said it would carefully study the WADA report and that it would fully cooperate with anti-doping bodies.
The Kremlin also said it would study the report, Interfax news agency reported. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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