From Inside the Games
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has maintained the suspension of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) as the body has still not met two outstanding reinstatement criteria.
WADA director general Olivier Niggli confirmed there was no change in the status of RUSADA, first declared non-compliant in November 2015, following an Executive Committee meeting today.
“There was no need for a vote and there was no proposal,” Niggli said.
“There is no change.”
The decision was widely expected as RUSADA has still not addressed the two remaining criteria the body needs to be reinstated.
These concern access to the Moscow Laboratory and their acceptance of the findings of the McLaren Report, which says that an institutional doping scheme was in operation at events including the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
The confirmation also means Russia’s current suspensions from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) will be kept in place by the respective governing bodies.
Russia regaining compliance is a key reinstatement criteria imposed by the IAAF and the IPC.
IPC President Andrew Parsons told insidethegames here that he was hopeful RUSADA would be welcomed back sooner rather than later.
RUSADA has made little progress towards regaining compliance and has so far refused to adhere to the criteria.
