Russian sport ministry oversaw Olympics doping and sample swapping program: McLaren

[Slegr]

That's a pretty big conspiracy come to life - even bigger than what us Canucks fans think about the NHL conspiring against us. Imagine an entire government illegally aiding its athletes.

 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/russian-sport-ministry-oversaw-olympics-doping-program-mclaren/article30954282/

 

Russian sport ministry oversaw Olympics doping and sample swapping program: McLaren

RACHEL BRADY

TORONTO — The Globe and Mail

Published Monday, Jul. 18, 2016 9:04AM ED

An independent investigation led by a Canadian law professor has confirmed evidence of widespread doping by Russian athletes and a complex state-sponsored system to protect them.

At a Toronto hotel on Monday, Western University law professor Richard McLaren presented findings of his independent probe into alleged manipulation of doping samples by Russian athletes. It presents a damning picture of widespread doping across a number of sports.

The report says that laboratories in Moscow and Sochi were involved in falsifying positive test results to protect doped Russian athletes, and that the Ministry of Sport directed, controlled and oversaw the manipulation of athletes’ test results. They had active assistance from both the Russian Federal Security Service (formerly known as the KGB) and the Centre of Sports Preparation (CSP).

Russian doping scandal: Key takeaways and a primer on the WADA report

McLaren was commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to lead an unbiased investigation after Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of Moscow’s drug-testing laboratory, told The New York Times that he provided Russian athletes with steroids before the 2014 Sochi Olympics and helped switch tainted samples for clean ones through a concealed hole in the lab wall. Rodchenkov, who is now living in the U.S., said he was operating on instructions from Russia’s sports ministry.

Over 57 days, McLaren’s commission did interviews, secured data from hard drives, retrieved deleted documents and did forensic analysis. They found evidence on bottles that indicated certain urine samples had been tampered with.

“It was a fail-safe method of permitting cheating Russian athletes to compete while using performance-enhancing substances,” said McLaren. “I am supremely confident in our findings.”

The report says that the Moscow lab operated a “disappearing positive methodology” in which positive drug tests were falsely recorded as negative when filed with WADA, by direct order from the Deputy Minister of Sport, Yuri Nagornykh. It adds that lab personnel did not have a choice in whether to be involved in the state-directed system.

The Sochi lab, according to the report, was swapping dirty urine samples for clean ones through a small hole in the wall of a secure testing area during the night. The investigation found scratches and marks on the insides of some testing bottle caps, indicating they had been opened. They also found evidence in some cases that salt had been added to the urine.

“The forensics evidence corroborates what Rodchenkov was saying,” said McLaren, whose commission interviewed Rodchenkov numerous times. ”I’m confident it was a truthful witness account.”

The report includes a table that outlines all the sports involved in “disappearing positive” test results by Russian athletes. There were 30 sports listed spanning summer and winter Games. The most were found in athletics and weightlifting.

The professor chose not to offer recommendations as to how WADA or the International Olympic Committee (IOC) should react to the information found in his report, even though in past independent commissions he’s led, he has made recommendations.

McLaren said he had a short window to investigate due to the impending 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, and believes the investigation should be extended as he felt there is more to uncover.

The report says the system was set up following what Russian sports authorities felt was an abysmal medal count by its athletes at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and was in place until August of 2015.

The report fuels debate over whether Russian athletes should be banned from competing next month in the Rio Olympics. Russia’s track-and-field athletes are already banned.

[elvis15]

Of course they were, but having the independent review confirm it will help make any decisions in regards to punishment much easier.

[riffraff]

Meh.  Olympics.

[Nuxfanabroad]

Have a hard time believing ANYthing from MSM, these days. Russia's their fav target...

[Toews]

2 minutes ago, Nuxfanabroad said:

Have a hard time believing ANYthing from MSM, these days. Russia's their fav target...

These aren't just some accusations. They have the scientist who organised all the doping who defected as his colleagues were dying in mysterious circumstances. 

 

[CBH1926]

11 minutes ago, Nuxfanabroad said:

Have a hard time believing ANYthing from MSM, these days. Russia's their fav target...

It is all part of the conspiracy against the Russia's democracy.

[Nuxfanabroad]

50 minutes ago, Toews said:

These aren't just some accusations. They have the scientist who organised all the doping who defected as his colleagues were dying in mysterious circumstances. 

 

Fair enough, Toews..have a hard time getting interested in world sport(esp Oly's) these last few decades.

[higgyfan]

Cheaters gonna cheat.  These cheaters should be banned for a much longer time.

[Guest]

Considering that the report states categorically that the doping setup was borne from Russia's failed 2010 Winter Olympics campaign, and we know that Putin sees the hockey team as being the beacon of Russian sport...should we be expecting Russian ice hockey players to be implicated in this?

[Standing_Tall#37]

16 hours ago, Nuxfanabroad said:

Have a hard time believing ANYthing from MSM, these days. Russia's their fav target...

Just imagine if the world authorities had the balls to call out the US on the same thing. Unfortunately though they are the forerunners in drug creation and are ahead of what's even being tested for yet.

[Tre Mac]

Highly doubt they're the only country doing this...

 

 

'Merica I am looking at you...

[WHL rocks]

On 7/18/2016 at 0:48 PM, Nuxfanabroad said:

Have a hard time believing ANYthing from MSM, these days. Russia's their fav target...

Pretty much this. I don't believe this crap for a second. It's all part of the propaganda war against Russia and Putin. He kicked out the western backed oligarchs and re established his country's ownership over its natural resources. 

 

All too predictable. It's just nonsense. Too bad for the athletes who worked hard their entire lives to get to this level, but the natural resources and Russian independence is worth more than any number of gold medals at the Olympics. Heck, soldiers lose their lives for country, whats a gold medal compared to that?

[Toews]

On 7/19/2016 at 2:21 AM, Nuxfanabroad said:

Fair enough, Toews..have a hard time getting interested in world sport(esp Oly's) these last few decades.

Doping is an epidemic in most Olympic sports. Millions of dollars are put into research for beating the system. Athletes carefully regiment their doping cycles to ensure that they avoid testing.

 

The cheating isn't a big deal, as there are a lot of cheaters out there trying to beat the system. The big deal is that Russia circumvented the system entirely to get an edge. The country put billions into the Olympics and they wanted a return on their investment and they succeeded. 

 

The rules, the risks and the pitfalls should be the same for all athletes. 

 

Also to those saying this is simply a ploy to get back at Russia, you have been reading too much Russian propaganda. 

[taxi]

On 7/21/2016 at 10:14 AM, Tre Mac said:

Highly doubt they're the only country doing this...

 

 

'Merica I am looking at you...

The American system is far more privatized. The government doesn't get involved with individual athletes the way Russia does. Individual coaches are 100% involved in doping athletes. The government does, however, regularly bust US athletes for doping. The difference here is that Russia crossed the line. Even if the US Anti-doping Agency is all a sham, they at least give the illusion of attempting to stop doping. Russia, on the other hand, was actively involved in helping their athletes cheat.

[ice orca]

The ole hole in the wall trick...dirty red's.

[Standing_Tall#37]

On July 22, 2016 at 10:31 AM, taxi said:

The American system is far more privatized. The government doesn't get involved with individual athletes the way Russia does. Individual coaches are 100% involved in doping athletes. The government does, however, regularly bust US athletes for doping. The difference here is that Russia crossed the line. Even if the US Anti-doping Agency is all a sham, they at least give the illusion of attempting to stop doping. Russia, on the other hand, was actively involved in helping their athletes cheat.

Two words;

 

Carl Lewis

[Guest]

On 19/07/2016 at 9:31 AM, Captain Woodget said:

Considering that the report states categorically that the doping setup was borne from Russia's failed 2010 Winter Olympics campaign, and we know that Putin sees the hockey team as being the beacon of Russian sport...should we be expecting Russian ice hockey players to be implicated in this?

So according to Sportsnet, 14 Russian hockey players were part of this.

[RUPERTKBD]

23 hours ago, Standing_Tall#37 said:

Two words;

 

Carl Lewis

His point still stands, though.

 

Americans have had their share of doping scandals, (Marion Jones, Justin Gatlin, etc) but there isn't any evidence to conclude that those were part of a state run program. They're really no different than the Ben Johnson situation.

 

OTOH, there is evidence that the Russian Olympic committee as well as the Russian government was heavily involved in this scandal, so it's really apples and orangutans.

[RUPERTKBD]

1 minute ago, Captain Woodget said:

So according to Sportsnet, 14 Russian hockey players were part of this.

Whoever they are, they didn't do enough....