Olympic Games: Russian Commission finds doping allegation refuted

The competent Russian investigative commission considers all allegations of state doping to be disproved. This was announced by the state authority in a statement published on Wednesday.

She added that an arrest warrant had been issued for the whistleblower Gregory Rodchenkov. The extradition of the former head of the Moscow Anti-Doping Centre, who is in the USA in the witness protection programme, should be applied for. There is no extradition agreement between the USA and Russia.

The arguments of WADA Special Investigator Richard McLaren regarding an exchange of doping tests in the anti-doping laboratory in Sochi during the Olympic Winter Games 2014 are “refuted as well as the existence of a state doping program for athletes in Russia to win a maximum number of medals”, it was stated in a statement by the committee.

The Canadian professor of law McLaren had also assumed a government-run doping system based on statements of the leniency witness Rodchenkow Russia.

The Russian doping scandal thus continues to become even more explosive. The International Olympic Committee is currently investigating with two commissions the Russian offences surrounding the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. The commission headed by Swiss IOC executive member Denis Oswald has already ruled out two Russian cross-country skiers from Olympic Games for the rest of their lives – probably due to McLaren’s findings.

Cross-country skiing star Alexander Legkov was deprived of a gold medal. The IOC decision, which was initially made without any justification for the ruling, was severely criticised in Russia.

The Oswald Commission is investigating a total of 26 more suspicious Russian Sochi starters, and the sanctions are now to be announced in turn. A second IOC commission of former Swiss politician Samuel Schmid is dealing with the question of the involvement of Russian politicians and authorities.

On the basis of its assessment, the IOC Executive Board intends to propose a resolution in the framework of a five-year programme to be held in Berlin from 5 to 7 October. till 7 The Commission has decided to impose an overall penalty for the punishment imposed by the Council at its meeting scheduled for 1 December.

On Sunday, the New York Times had written that the IOC was considering banning the Russian anthem at the Winter Games in Pyeongchang (9. till 25. February) and an exclusion of Russian athletes from the opening ceremony.

This report, too, aroused a storm of indignation in Russia. Several politicians have called for a Russian Pyeongchang boycott if the IOC imposes such measures.