Just one day after an independent World Anti-Doping Agency Commission released a detailed 323-page report on “state-sponsored” doping in Russia which recommended the nation be banned from competition, WADA has moved swiftly in their response to suspend the accreditation of the Moscow Anti-Doping Center. The suspension is effective immediately, but is subject to appeal from Moscow, who will have 21 days to bring their case before the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS). 

 

Citing article 4.4.13.2.1 of their International Standard for Laboratories, WADA announced in a statement this morning that the Dick Pound-led independent investigation gave them “justified reason to believe that the suspension or revocation of a laboratory accreditation is required in order to protect the interest of the Anti-Doping Community,” the statement read. 

 

The suspension prevents the Moscow lab from analyzing all urine and blood samples. 

 

Detailed in yesterday’s report was evidence of a highly sophisticated doping program in Russia in which the government was heavily involved in maintaining a “deeply rooted culture of cheating,” including the oversight of destroying over 1,400 doping samples, the maintenance of a sham lab to protect dirty athletes, and proof of the Russian FSB monitoring testing practices, among other things. Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko was implicated in the report for his involvement, as Pound said “it was not possible for him to be unaware of it.” Since Mutko reports directly to Russian president Vladimir Putin, the suggestion is that this scandal goes all the way to the very top of the country’s leadership.

 

Both Mutko and Putin have denied the allegations, with a spokesman for the president calling yesterday’s report “unfounded.”

 

The length of the Moscow Anti-Doping lab’s provisional suspension will be six months, however it is dependent on the decision of a WADA executive disciplinary committee, which will review the case. In the meantime, Moscow samples will be transported to another WADA-accredited lab.

 

In response to yesterday’s report, IAAF president Sebastian Coe announced last night that the Russian Athletics Federation will have seven days to state their case on the allegations, at which point Coe will decide whether or not to hand down sanctions. 

 

The independent commission yesterday recommended that the Russian Athletics Federation not be granted entry to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio due to their widespread doping problem. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) called yesterday’s report “deeply shocking and very saddening for the world of sport,” in a statement.