IOC Extends Russia Punishment

(ATR) The IOC has decided to extend provisional measures taken against Russia "until further notice" as its two commissions prepare to evaluate Richard McLaren’s second report on state-sponsored doping.

Ahead of the Friday publication, the IOC released a declaration of its executive board in a move seemingly designed to take the sting out of what could be another bombshell dossier on Russia doping. His first report in July included explosive revelations of alleged manipulations in the WADA-accredited anti-doping laboratory at the Sochi 2014 Olympics.

Among provisional measures taken against Russia in July was the IOC saying it "will not organize or give patronage" to any sports event or meeting in Russia.

The IOC is also calling on the seven winter Olympic sports federations to "freeze their preparations for major events in Russia" because of what it said in July were "the detailed references to the manipulation of samples" during the Games in the Black Sea resort. The federations are being asked to "actively look for alternative organizers".

The measures were set for review at this week’s IOC executive board meeting in Lausanne.

The IOC explained the extension of sanctions by saying that "due process" had to be followed with its inquiry and disciplinary commissions reviewing the findings of McLaren.

"The evidence provided by Prof. McLaren in his investigation has to be evaluated, and those implicated have to be given the right to be heard," said the IOC in a statement.

"This includes the athletes, the Russian ministry of sport, and other implicated persons and organizations."

"Once all the evidence has been considered, the IOC Executive Board will then issue the appropriate measures and sanctions related to the Olympic Games."

In his first report, WADA investigator McLaren concluded that the Russian sports ministry led by Vitaly Mutko "directed, controlled and oversaw" the manipulation of athlete’s analytical results or sample swapping with the active participation and assistance of the Russian secret service and both Moscow and Sochi laboratories.

At the time, IOC president Thomas Bach said it was "a shocking and unprecedented attack on the integrity of sports and on the Olympic Games". The IOC banned from the Rio Olympics any official of the Russian sports ministry or any person implicated in McLaren's report.

After McLaren’s first report, the IOC decided against a blanket ban on Russian athletes from the Rio Games, instead delegating decisions to the international federations.

An Inquiry Commission was launched, now under the chairmanship of Samuel Schmid, to address the alleged government-sponsored system of doping, in particular with regard to the Sochi Games.

The IOC also initiated reanalysis, "including forensic analysis", and a full inquiry into all Russian athletes who participated in the Sochi 2014 Olympics along with their coaches, officials and support staff.

Swiss IOC member Denis Oswald is chairing a disciplinary commission to handle this job. It is addressing the doping and manipulation of samples concerning Russian athletes who participated at the Sochi Olympics. All the samples of all Russian athletes participating in Sochi are being re-analyzed.

The IOC said Wednesday that the re-analysis will be two-fold "on one hand to establish whether there was doping, but not reported; and on the other hand, to establish whether the samples themselves were manipulated".

"Both Commissions will resume their contact with Prof. McLaren and are looking forward to good cooperation with him. The IOC had already given Prof. McLaren access to all the samples needed for his investigation," the IOC added.

The IOC said its executive board would "take all the appropriate measures and sanctions" once the work of the two commissions is complete. This is expected sometime in February.

Sanctions may include disqualification of athletes from competition at the Olympics, and the exclusion of implicated officials, entourage or government officials from the Games.

The international federations also have the authority to hand down sanctions based on McLaren’s report banning athletes and entourage from other international competitions, and potentially the suspension of national federations.

Reported by Mark Bissonin Lausanne

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