LAUSANNE – A report by the World Anti-Doping Agency Independent Commission has recommended that Russia be suspended from all international athletics competitions, five competitors and five coaches banned for life and its testing laboratory should be stripped of accreditation, following a number of doping and corruption allegations exposed by German channel ARD.
These devastating recommendations, unveiled by Commission chief and former WADA president Richard Pound in a news conference in Geneva today, confirmed the said allegations and represent a massive blow not only to Russian international prestige generally but also to world athletics and potentially to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro next year.
Pound´s investigation uncovered concerns about criminal activity pertaining to three senior athletics officials including Lamine Diack, however this aspect of the investigation was not considered legally appropriate yet for publication and discussion.
Five athletes who won medals at London Games should not have been allowed to compete.
In the 800m, winner Mariya Savinova and bronze winner Yekaterina Poistogova, 20km walker Olga Kaniskina (silver) and 50km walker Sergey Kirdyapkin (gold). Also mentioned is 150 m initial winner Asli Cakir Alptekin from Turkey.
