WADA experts hold talks in Moscow about doping lab data

Lab technicians work at Russia’s national drug-testing laboratory in Moscow

A delegation from the World Anti-Doping Agency held talks with Russian authorities in Moscow yesterday as it tries to access data which could mean more bans for the country’s top athletes.

The delegation was expected to visit the Moscow laboratory at the heart of a vast cover-up of Russian doping cases in an effort to obtain computer data.

Russia must provide the data before Dec. 31 or risk having its national anti-doping agency suspended again, two months after its controversial reinstatement.

“We are very pleased to be here in Russia for this important meeting,” WADA science official Olivier Rabin said. “We believe it’s a sign that we are making progress in our discussions with the Russian authorities.”

WADA has found extensive evidence that Russia routinely falsified drug-testing results, including at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, but must now hope authorities provide genuine data. Russia must also submit athletes’ stored samples for analysis by June 30.

Jim Walden, the lawyer for former lab director and WADA whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov, told The Associated Press he expects Russia to either hold back the data or provide false information.

“I would posit that there is zero chance that Russia will give access to the backup data for the computers that were used during Sochi, and the lab equipment and the stored samples,” Walden said Tuesday. “So the central question’s going to be: when the Russians refuse what will WADA do? And if it capitulates again, then unfortunately the world would know that Russia really was successful at killing anti-doping.”

WADA isn’t expected to return with the data after Wednesday’s visit, which aims to set a procedure for a second team to arrive and collect the files.

“Today we are not having any access to any data,” Rabin said. “We are explaining what we expect and we are discussing with our Russian colleagues what they expect as well from this technical visit in December.”

Russian legal academic Viktor Blazheyev, who attended the talks, declined to comment. Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov did not take part.

Any data can be checked against an unauthorized copy of the lab’s database which WADA obtained last year under unclear circumstances. Walden said Rodchenkov — who is under witness protection in the United States — played no role in obtaining that data and said WADA’s confidential source was likely “someone who was still in the lab.”

If WADA does re-suspend the Russian agency, known as RUSADA, that could severely obstruct the country’s ability to host major sporting events. The previous RUSADA suspension didn’t stop Russia from holding this year’s soccer World Cup, when FIFA excluded all Russians from any role in collecting players’ drug-testing samples. MDT/AP