WADA Head Defends Move To Reinstate RUSADA, Says Agency Met Majority Of Needed Criteria

Head of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Craig Reedie published an open letter defending the decision to reinstate the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), stressing that it was made because the agency had complied with the criteria set by WADA.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) Head of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Craig Reedie published an open letter defending the decision to reinstate the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), stressing that it was made because the agency had complied with the criteria set by WADA.

On Thursday, Reedie said most members of the WADA Executive Committee voted to reinstate RUSADA following its suspension in 2015 over violations of the World Anti-Doping Code. Nine out of 12 WADA Executive Committee members voted to reinstate RUSADA.

"This week's decision was based entirely on achieving Russian compliance, as properly delivered. A regularly monitored anti-doping process in Russia is surely the best way to reassure athletes there, and elsewhere, that clean sport prevails. The opportunity to finally resolve cases where we have suspicion, but not definitive proof, could not have been postponed. Russia must now deliver on its formal undertakings. Clean athletes, governments and sport are watching closely, with WADA at the forefront," Reedie said in the letter issued on Sunday.

He pointed out that 29 of the 31 compliance criteria had been fulfilled by Russia this summer.

"The Russian agency had met the same standards expected of any other.

Only the acknowledgment of wrongdoing and access to the Moscow laboratory remained, as they had since the roadmap was agreed by the Russians in January 2017. WADA's independent Compliance Review Committee met in June and developed further definitions for these two criteria ... I proposed these two definitions to the Russian sports ministry and on 13 September, a response finally arrived. It offered both an acknowledgment of wrongdoing and established a tight timeframe for access," the letter said.

Reedie added that any accusations against WADA and himself claiming that the decision was motivated by the organization's financial interests were "totally untrue, and deeply offensive."

In 2015, WADA declared RUSADA non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code. In 2016, the head of WADA's independent commission Richard McLaren published a report that claimed Russia had a state-supported doping system. Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have refuted allegations of the existence of a state-run doping program but admitted there were issues with doping abuse.

The recent WADA decision to reinstate RUSADA was sharply criticized by several countries and organizations.