After being named in the World Anti-Doping report that revealed “state-sponsored” systematic doping practices in Russia, Lausanne Laboratory Director Martial Saugy defended the work of his lab in the Russian scandal while also raising questions on WADA’s investigation. 

 

In an exclusive interview with Lausanne newspaper 24 Heures, Saugy expressed his side of the story in response to the report’s claim that 67 drug testing samples were destroyed by the Lausanne lab. 

 

The WADA-commissioned report alleged that the Lausanne lab destroyed 55 samples out of 67 from Moscow in December 2014, when the German documentary on Russian doping was released. 

 

“We received the samples in November 2012. Once the tests were finished, they were destroyed on March 13th 2013, following a procedure validated by the current international standards. We have documents proving it,” Saugy said in a dispute on the claims. 

 

“Contrary to what is stated in the report, we have not received any indications ordering us to keep these samples on the long term. The huge majority of the 250,000 tests we conduct every year are destroyed after three months. We do not have the storage capacity or the budget to keep them,” Saugy said. 

 

Saugy not only disputed the claims made by the WADA report, but also expressed a dangerous side of his job, one that involves frequent death threats. In 2009, the scientist was the target of a such a threat from an anonymous Russian. 

 

“I received an anonymous email from Russia saying: ‘You know how we deal with the justices in Switzerland. Go ask the family of the air traffic controller involved in the Uberlingen crash what she thinks,” Saugy said, recalling the email correspondence. 

 

The Uberlingen crash is in reference to a plane crash that took place in 2002 where two planes, one carrying mainly Russian children, crashed into each other near the Swiss and German border. The crash caused 71 deaths, and the air traffic controller who was involved in the crash was stabbed to death in 2004 by a Russian citizen whose daughter died in the accident. 

 

According to Saugy’s testimony, verbal intimidation is just part of the job as director of the Lausanne laboratory. 

 

“If you are scared of that, you should resign. To begin to address the problem, we must come down from our ivory tower,” Saugy said. 

 

Saugy was also the subject of suspicion in 2013 when he was accused by U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart of helping Lance Armstrong avoid being caught for doping. At the time of the investigation, Tygart told U.S. television program “60 Minutes Sports” that Saugy gave Armstrong and his team manager “the keys to beating EPO tests” before the 2002 Tour de France. Saugy disputed the claim, and the accusations were never proven true.