WADA promises strict anti-doping monitoring of Russian athletes ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics
After receiving the IOC's approval, Russian athletes will be under close scrutiny to prevent doping scandals like the one at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
Headquarters of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). File photo
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced that it will carry out intensive monitoring of the anti-doping tests that Russian athletes undergo after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to temporarily lift the sanctions on Russian athletes and teams imposed following the start of Russia's war against Ukraine.
In an interview with AFP, WADA Director General Olivier Niggli stated that this measure serves to ensure integrity in sports ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games and to reassure other athletes.
"We are not naive. We will remain vigilant because the other athletes will want to feel at ease," Niggli said. "We are going to strengthen this system. A series of pre-Games tests should be conducted on international athletes who may participate in the Games" by "an entity other than the Russian national agency."
The WADA Director General noted that there is no agency in Russia responsible for conducting anti-doping tests that is accredited by WADA. "As of today, we have no concrete evidence that would raise a red flag. There is no longer a (WADA-accredited) laboratory in Russia. All samples are analyzed abroad; they can no longer cook up their own results internally, as happened in Sochi. At this time, that is not possible."
Institutionalized doping in Russia reached its peak during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and remains the most high-profile scandal WADA has had to face since its creation in 1999.
The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) remains suspended until further notice by WADA.
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