Dylan Armstrong issues emotional statement after wife named in doping scandal

In a statement emailed to the CBC, Canadian shot putter Dylan Armstrong responded to the news that his wife, Russian Olympian Evgeniia Kolodko, tested positive for a banned substance.

We've decided to post the entire statement below:

I have, earlier this week, learned that my wife Evgeniia Kolodko, a Russian Olympic Athlete whom I met in 2012 and married in a private civil ceremony in British Columbia Canada in September 2015, is among the eight Russian athletes recently named by the International Olympic Committee as testing positive for doping during the 2012 London Olympics.

I did not know Evgeniia before the 2012 London Games. I have come to know her as a sport colleague and now as my wife.

News of athlete doping is very disheartening for competitive athletes who are committed to competing clean. I have never condoned doping in sport. I also know personally how disheartening it can be after waiting more than 6 years after the 2008 Beijing to receive my Olympic bronze medal due to the doping practices of a competitor. I have been consistently outspoken about my position on doping which is zero tolerance.

Today's news is especially difficult as it affects both the Olympic Athletic Community I am part of -- and someone I love deeply; Evgeniia.

I am not only a dedicated Olympic athlete; I am a patriotic Canadian and a committed husband. 

As such I will encourage my wife to cooperate fully with the International Olympic Committee and with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as they determine the appropriate actions to be taken. At the same time, I will offer my love, patience and support to Evgeniia as she responds to the news of these doping test results in her home country of Russia and as she navigates her future as an elite athlete.

I appreciate your patience and respect for my privacy. 

Any questions regarding the WADA testing, the investigative process and resulting decisions or determinations should be directed to the International Olympic Committee and/or the World Anti-Doping Agency. I will not be speaking on behalf of Evgeniia on this matter.

Sincerely;

Dylan Armstrong