Stating that the Russian NOC has been a strong and loyal proponent of the Olympic Movement, EOC President Hickey following the WADA Independent Commission’s report is urging Russia “to leave no stone unturned in their mission to become WADA Code compliant”. Hickey said in a statement, circulated on Monday: “The findings of the WADA Independent Commission’s report are of course deeply troubling to all of us in the sports community. Clearly there is a need for reform in Russia’s anti-doping programme, but I have every confidence that Russia has the will and the resources to implement that reform in the required time.
“This is all the more important because the Russian Olympic Committee has been a strong and loyal proponent of the Olympic Movement in Europe and globally. So I urge that after this report Russia leaves no stone unturned in their mission to become WADA Code compliant. We have seen that other large countries who have had problems with doping in the past have since become world-leaders in the global fight against drugs in sport. Russia also has the capacity to lead from the front in the future.
“I will meet Alexander Zhukov, the ROC President, during the EOC’s General Assembly in Prague this week. I will take this opportunity to reiterate my concern at the findings of the report, but also to pledge the EOC’s total support to the ROC as they lead and coordinate the fight against doping in Russia. I hope Russia takes this opportunity to cooperate with the relevant international anti-doping authorities so that we can see clean Russian track and field athletes representing a clean Russian athletics federation at the start line in Rio.”
This story first appeared in the blog, The Sport Intern. The editor is Karl-Heinz Huba of Lorsch, Germany. He can be reached at ISMG@aol.com. The article is reprinted here with permission of Huba.