The Council of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) last Friday suspended membership of the All-Russia Athletic Federation (ARAF) for an indefinite term. At the present moment, Russian athletes have no right to take part in international competitions under the IAAF auspices. There is also a chance that Russian athletes won’t be able to participate in the 2016 Olympics.
Twenty-two IAAF members voted for suspension of ARAF membership at an extraordinary session. One was against and three abstained.
The WADA Independent Commission delivered a report on November 9 on its investigation into doping abuse allegations involving Russian athletes and recommended that the International Association of Athletic Federations suspend all athletes of the All-Russia Athletics Federation from participation in international competitions.
It also recommended to ban for life five Russian athletes and five coaches over their involvement in doping abuse violations as well as to strip the Moscow anti-doping laboratory of its license.
In December 2014 German TV Channel ARD aired a series of documentaries on alleged doping abuse in Russian sports. The ARD’s two-part documentary, entitled Geheimsache Doping (Secret Doping Case), claimed that Russian athletes systematically took banned substances on instructions from their coaches.
On August 1 this year ARD released another documentary “Doping – Top Secret: The Shadowy World of Athletics.” The film claimed that ARD and British newspaper The Sunday Times had obtained a leaked database belonging to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which contained more than 12,000 blood tests from around 5,000 athletes in the years 2001 to 2012.
ARD further alleged that a third of medals (146, including 55 golds) in endurance events at the Olympics and World Championships between 2001 and 2012 were won by athletes who have recorded suspicious tests but none of these athletes have been stripped of their medals.
The Sunday Times also alleged that Russian athletes suspected of doping abuse had won 80% of medals for their country at Olympic Games and World Championships between 2001 and 2012.
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