The Russian Anti-Doping Agency should not be declared compliant with the world anti-doping code, a World Anti-Doping Agency committee recommended to the organization’s director general.
WADA's foundation board is meeting in Seoul on Thursday to review, among other things, whether RUSADA should return to compliance for the first time in two years.
WADA’s compliance review committee, in a letter to director general Olivier Niggli that was obtained by USA TODAY Sports, unanimously recommended that RUSADA should not be reinstated until remaining issues are resolved.
Those highlighted in the letter include Russia’s continued denial of the findings of a WADA-commissioned investigation that showed systemic and state-sponsored doping in the country; that the Russian government has not yet released electronic data and samples from the Moscow laboratory; that doping control officers be able to access Russian athletes training in closed cities for testing; and that RUSADA correct non-conformities found in a WADA audit.