Richard McLaren urged to allow the Russians to international competitions

The head of the commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to investigate the case of the doping scandal at the Olympics in Sochi in 2014, Richard McLaren, believes that the removal of Russian athletes from international competitions is “unfair”, since it was not the athletes who started the military conflict in Ukraine. According to him, the decision to ban should be reviewed.

“The way they are treated is unfair. Athletes did not start this conflict and are not responsible for its course. These are two good reasons to allow them to participate in international competitions again, ”Mr. McLaren believes, his words are quoted by the portal sportschau.de.

On February 28, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) called on international sports federations to remove athletes from Russia and Belarus from official competitions. In May, IOC President Thomas Bach declaredthat the situation with Russian athletes may be reviewed over time. According to him, the committee’s decisions will depend on the political situation.

In 2016, Richard McLaren published a report on doping in Russian sports, including at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. The report stated that the tests of Russian athletes with doping were exchanged for “clean” tests, and the forgery was organized by the Ministry of Sports with the support of the Federal Security Service.

Anastasia Larina