OREANDA-NEWS. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has opened a procedure for non-compliance of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) with the World Anti-Doping Code. This decision was made at a meeting of the WADA Executive Committee, which was held in Tokyo on September 23.

“WADA initiated the consideration of non-compliance of RUSADA according to the fast-track procedure, in accordance with the International Standard for Compliance,” said Sergey Khrychikov, the member of the RUSADA supervisory board. He explained that the reasons of this decision were the inconsistencies between the LIMS base, which is available to WADA, and the data from the Moscow laboratory, obtained in January 2019.

Last week, Hajo Seppelt, the German journalist, an employee of the ARD Deutsches Fernsehen (ARD German TV), said that Russia was suspected of manipulating the data of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory, and therefore a procedure was started to recognize RUSADA as not compliant with the WADA code. According to him, data on suspicions against Russia were sent to WADA in the beginning of 2019.

In 2018, the WADA Executive Committee completely restored RUSADA's status after a suspension that lasted almost 3 years. All the rights of RUSADA were deprived after the publication of a commission headed by Richard McLaren on doping in sport. WADA emphasized that the advance went towards the Russian organization, leaving for itself the right to re-apply the sanctions. It could be avoided under two conditions: providing electronic data from the Moscow laboratory by the end of 2018 and the samples of athletes by June 30, 2019. Russia has fulfilled its obligations.