Doping in Russia

• 1. Soviet Era Origins

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  A KGB colonel once stated that agency officers had posed as anti-doping authorities from the International Olympic Committee to undermine tests. Soviet competitors were "rescued with [these] tremendous efforts" according to British journalist Andrew Jennings. A 1989 Australian study described the Moscow Games as potentially better called the Chemists' Games. The study claimed there is hardly a medal winner at those games who is not on one sort of drug or another. Documents obtained in 2016 revealed plans for a statewide doping system in track and field before the 1984 Summer Olympics boycott decision. Dr. Sergei Portugalov of the Institute for Physical Culture prepared communications directed to the head of track and field. He later became a main figure in implementing the Russian program prior to the 2016 Summer Olympics.

• 2. Whistleblower Revelations

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  In 2010, Vitaly Stepanov began sending information to WADA alleging systemic doping enabled by RUSADA. He sent two hundred emails and fifty letters over three years. Darya Pishchalnikova emailed WADA in December 2012 containing details of an alleged state-run program. Her email reached three top officials but the agency forwarded it to Russian sports officials instead. In April 2013, Pishchalnikova was banned for ten years after failing a test for the second time. British journalist Nick Harris contacted the IOC with allegations about Grigory Rodchenkov's laboratory in July 2013. WADA chief investigator Jack Robertson obtained permission from director-general David Howman to approach investigative reporter Hajo Seppelt. ARD aired Seppelt's documentary on the 3rd of December 2014 titled The Doping Secret: How Russia Creates its Champions. It included conversations secretly recorded by Yuliya Stepanova claiming Moscow drug-testing labs covered up results. Long-distance runner Liliya Shobukhova allegedly paid €450,000 to cover her positive result.

• 3. McLaren Investigation Findings

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  Richard McLaren published a 97-page report on the 18th of July 2016 covering significant state-sponsored doping. The investigation found evidence beyond reasonable doubt that the Ministry of Sport and Federal Security Service operated a failsafe system. This Disappearing Positive Methodology covered up positive results using urine samples opened in Sochi to swap them without untrained eye detection. The system operated from at least late 2011 to August 2015. It was used on 643 positive samples according to authors who consider this number only a minimum due to limited access. The method covered wide sports including Athletics with 139 cases and Weightlifting with 117 cases. Berlinger Group stated they had no knowledge of specifications or procedures involved in tests conducted by the commission. WADA announced RUSADA should be regarded as non-compliant following these findings. The IOC decided to decline accreditation requests by Russian sports ministry officials implicated in the report.

• 4. Global Sanctions And Bans

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  WADA banned Russia from major international sporting events for four years on the 9th of December 2019. Charges included tampering with doping-related reports and obstruction of investigations. The Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced the penalty to two years on the 17th of December 2020. Athletes could participate but were not allowed to use the Russian name, flag, or anthem. They must present themselves as Neutral Athlete or Neutral Team instead. Uniforms may display Russia only up to equal predominance as the neutral designation. Racing drivers from Russia cannot officially represent their country in FIA-sanctioned World Championships while sanctions remain. The ruling extends to any official World Championship and affects racing drivers from Russia unable to represent their nation. Russia paid a fine of $5 million plus $1.31 million in costs three days before the deadline to avoid expulsion from World Athletics.

• 5. Olympic Participation Under Neutrality

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  The IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee from the 2018 Winter Olympics on the 5th of December 2017. Russians competed under the Olympic Flag as an Olympic Athlete from Russia delegation. No government officials were permitted to attend the Games and neither the Russian flag nor national anthem was featured. An original pool of 500 Russians was put forward for consideration for the 2018 Games. 111 competitors were immediately eliminated including 43 sanctioned by the Oswald Commission. The final number of neutral Russian competitors invited to compete was 169. Speed skater Olga Graf chose not to compete stating sport had become a bargaining chip in dirty political games. This brought the eventual total to 168 athletes. Two Russian competitors from the OAR delegation failed doping tests during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in February 2018. Curler Aleksandr Krushelnitckii won bronze but was disqualified while bobsleigh pilot Nadezhda Sergeeva finished twelfth and was also disqualified.

• 6. The Kamila Valieva Case

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  On the 11th of February 2022, media outlets reported a positive test for trimetazidine by ROC's Kamila Valieva. Her sample taken at the 2022 Russian Figure Skating Championships on the 25th of December was not analyzed until the 8th of February. Valieva received a provisional suspension after her positive result. She was cleared by RUSADA's independent Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee on the 9th of February following formal appeals lodged by IOC and ISU. CAS ruled that Valieva would be allowed to compete in the women's single event starting the 15th of February. Preventing her from competing would cause irreparable harm according to the court due to her age as a minor. Her gold medal in the team event remained under consideration pending further legal consultation. The case involved members of her entourage including coaches and team doctors as investigations broadened scope.

• 7. Russian Political Reactions

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  Vladimir Putin stated Russia had never supported any violations in sport at the state level. He claimed allegations were part of an anti-Russia policy by the West. Aleksey Pushkov called the IAAF decision an act of political revenge against Russia for its independent foreign policy. Vadim Dengin stated the entire doping scandal is a pure falsification invented to discredit and humiliate Russia. A poll by Levada Center found 71% of Russians did not believe WADA reports while only 14% believed competitors doped in Sochi. A spokesman for Putin called Stepanova a Judas traitor. Yelena Isinbayeva wrote Let all those pseudo-clean foreign athletes breathe a sigh of relief and win their pseudo gold medals in our absence. She added they always did fear strength. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the ruling a crime against sport. Russian media have also criticized the Stepanovs extensively regarding their disclosures.