WADA UPDATE REGARDING RUSADA CODE COMPLIANCE
November 06, 2019Montreal, 28 October 2019 – The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) can confirm it has received further responses from the Russian authorities to a list of detailed and technical questions, including follow-up questions, raised by WADA’s Intelligence and Investigations Department (I&I) and the independent forensic experts concerning the data that WADA I&I retrieved from the Moscow Laboratory in January 2019.
These questions gave the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) and the Russian Ministry of Sport an opportunity to explain a number of inconsistencies, as part of WADA’s decision on 17 September 2019 to open a formal compliance procedure against RUSADA. The responses are currently being assessed by WADA I&I and the independent forensic experts, who will report to the independent Compliance Review Committee (CRC) in due course so that the CRC is in a position to decide whether to bring a formal recommendation of non-compliance and proposed consequences to the WADA Executive Committee (ExCo). Given the highly technical nature of this investigation and the volume of complex material being assessed, no fixed timeline can be set at this stage. However, at the moment, it is anticipated that the CRC will be in a position to consider WADA I&I’s report before the end of November. That being the case, the ExCo – under the chairmanship of WADA President Sir Craig Reedie whose term of office runs until 31 December 2019 – would meet as soon as possible thereafter to discuss any CRC recommendation. WADA continues to pursue this matter robustly and as quickly as practicable, while ensuring that due process is respected, as outlined in the International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories.