MONTREAL (AP) — A whistleblower who uncovered Russia’s doping scourge says most of the changes in the country’s track and anti-doping programs are, in his words, “just fake,” and not extensive enough to allow the team into this summer’s Olympics.
Vitaly Stepanov, who along with his wife, Yulia, blew the lid off systemic doping in Russia, tells The Associated Press that about 80 percent of coaches in Russian track used doping to prepare athletes for London’s Olympics.
A decision on the track team’s eligibility for the Rio de Janeiro Games is coming next month. But Stepanov tells the AP he hasn’t seen enough reform or penalties to believe the team could be clean by the time the Olympics start in August.