The latest headlines from the reinstatement of Russia by the World Anti-Doping Agency came from former Canadian cross-country skier Beckie Scott, a member of the WADA Compliance Review Committee, from which she resigned after its recommendation for reinstatement.
She told the BBC’s Dan Roan that “the treatment she faced was ‘indicative of a general attitude of dismissal and belittling of the athlete voice.’”
She said that the CRC’s decision “was a compromise. I don’t think it was acceptable to clean athletes, especially in light of the affront to clean sport that had taken place.”
At the WADA Executive Committee meeting, Scott made a presentation that was met with what she called comments that dismissed her position and were intended “to bully” her.
She added, “Would we be having this conversation if it was a nation with far smaller resources or far smaller teams participating in Olympic Games? We are talking about a superpower in sport and the influence and pressure that they are able to exert, even within Wada, has been remarkable.”
U.S. Anti-Doping Agency chief executive Travis Tygart posted a statement that included, “Beckie could not be more in tune with the strong pulse of all those who value clean sport – and outside of the Olympic bubble – when she states that WADA Leadership has now become fully aligned with the Olympic Movement. As many others have said before, and as the evidence now clearly shows, the World Anti-Doping Agency has morphed into the International Olympic Committee in all but name. It is worth repeating loud and clear that it simply defies logic to have the very individuals whose role it is to promote sport, police it too. These sports administrators don’t want to witness the controversy in their sports that often comes with the exposure of doping. Simply put, now is the time for change.”
Also, the WADA Compliance Review Committee met earlier this month in Montreal (CAN). In the posted summary was an ominous note that the meeting included “Discussions regarding a number of Code Signatories that the CRC may recommend for non-compliance at the November meeting of the [WADA Executive Committee] unless they correct their outstanding non-conformities by then.”
As to the Russian situation, the 31 December deadline for the provision of the Moscow lab data in full remains, but also that “WADA will conduct a follow-up compliance audit of RUSADA, as per the RUSADA Roadmap to Compliance, on 11-12 December 2018.” Mark the dates …
