Drug Free Sport NZ supports strong international stance against Russia

Drug Free Sport New Zealand (DFSNZ) supports the position of dozens of its peers in calling for a ban on Russian participation at the Rio Games after damning allegations of state-sponsored doping by Russian athletes were confirmed.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has released the McLaren Report, an investigative document which proves that Russia was complicit in organising and allowing their elite athletes to dope and the subsequent cover up of positive doping tests.

The conclusions of the Report are so damning that in an unprecedented move WADA itself has called for “the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to consider, under their respective Charters, to decline entries, for Rio 2016, of all athletes submitted by the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and the Russian Paralympic Committee.”

DFSNZ chief executive Graeme Steel says the IOC and IPC must act decisively on the findings of the report.

“The McLaren Report confirms to the fullest extent the allegations that Russia has been operating a state-sponsored doping regime and has done so for many years. To find out that Russian athletes have systematically cheated and been supported by those accountable for ensuring they are competing clean is a massive betrayal,” he says.