WADA optimistic Russia will fix its broken anti-doping system
Sanctioned country has agreed to a list of conditions for reinstatement
Russia is taking steps to fix its doping control system, the World Anti-Doping Agency was told on Thursday.
A report from Rob Koehler, head of WADA's Compliance Review Committee, said Russia has agreed to a list of conditions for reinstatement of its national anti-doping program that was banned after a 2015 doping scandal.
They include ensuring that anti-doping officials are independent of outside influence, addressing conflict of interest concerns and that cities previously barred from visitors be opened up to doping testers.
WADA hopes that if they meet the conditions, the Russian anti-doping agency Rusada can soon resume operations under international supervision.
Reports of state-sponsored doping at the 2014 Winter Olympics led to sanctions that barred many Russian athletes from competing, and resulted in international events being withdrawn from Russia.
The board also agreed to go ahead with plans to sanction bodies such as international sports federations or national Olympic committees found to be breaking anti-doping rules in a similar way in which it punishes athletes. A group was formed to study the issue in the wake of the 2015 Russian doping scandal.
Under new standardized rules, those caught would be informed of the consequences and have the choice of accepting them or going to a hearing. If that doesn't resolve the issue, then it would go to the Court for Arbitration in Sport.
They also agreed to put the new rules in place as quickly as possible instead of waiting until the next WADA code revisions in 2021. Consultations are to begin in June with a final proposal to be put to vote in November. It would come into effect during the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, but would only apply to new cases.