From Inside the Games
Nearly 300 athletes have been identified as having the most suspicious samples in data retrieved from the Moscow Laboratory and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has sent evidentiary packages on 43 competitors to the relevant International Federations.
WADA made the disclosure in a statement released today confirming it has provided the International Federations with the first batch of Russian cases.
The global anti-doping watchdog revealed it had uncovered a target pool of 298 athletes, which have been made a priority by the intelligence and investigations department as WADA aims to help the International Federations sanctions those involved in the state-sponsored system.
The data of 43 athletes “have been reviewed and evidentiary packages compiled” and more will be sent once the data has been further substantiated, WADA said.
These have been forwarded to the relevant International Federations “which have commenced assessment of the evidence with a view to identifying those cases to take forward as anti-doping rule violations”.
WADA promised this process would include the review of the raw data by laboratory experts.
A targeted re-analysis programme of the 2,200 samples WADA removed from the Moscow Laboratory has already begun and WADA said three adverse analytical findings had so far been identified.
WADA President Sir Craig Reedie revealed last week that the organisation was hopeful that a first wave of more than 100 cases stemming from the data, obtained earlier this year, could be brought.
It is estimated that the priority cases will have been investigated by WADA by the end of this year.
