RUSADA Says Only 'Clean' Athletes Allowed To Olympic Games

TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st August, 2021) All athletes participating in the Tokyo Olympics are allowed to the Games on equal conditions after the world anti-doping watchdog receives proof that they are "clean," Acting Director General of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) Mikhail Bukhanov told Sputnik, commenting on the USADA chief's remarks.

On Saturday, Travis Tygart, the chief executive officer of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), called for making the results of doping testing of all Russian athletes participating in the Tokyo Games public and criticized the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as he considered the punishment of the Russians not harsh enough. Last year, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled Russian athletes cannot compete in major international competitions under the national flag until December 16, 2022, over alleged violation of the anti-doping code.

"Unfortunately, the colleague does not know that the World Anti-Doping Code is based on a presumption of guilt. Article 5 of the code points to the principle of testing, according to which, every athlete can be notified at any time by the anti-doping agency to take the test. Every athlete," Bukhanov said.

"In other words, the doping testing process itself is the process of obtaining irrefutable laboratory evidence that an athlete is 'clean.' All Olympians around the world get access to the Games on equal conditions when the global anti-doping system receives irrefutable proof of the 'cleanness' of athletes," he added.