IOC asks Russia for records of anti-doping procedures

MOSCOW – The IOC is asking Russia to provide details of how anti-doping procedures were carried out over a five-year period as the Olympic body investigates the country’s drug scandals.

The IOC set up a disciplinary commission in July under former French constitutional Court judge Guy Canivet to look into allegations that Russia covered up hundreds of doping cases, including at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Vitaly Smirnov, a former IOC member from Russia who runs a government-backed anti-doping commission, said he had received requests from the International Olympic Committee to provide records regarding Russian anti-doping procedures from 2010-15.

Smirnov said his commission has collected the information from Russian sports officials and government bodies, and plans to provide the details to the IOC this week.

“We received from the IOC disciplinary commission the letter in question, including serious questions regarding the organization of the anti-doping system,” Smirnov said. “We’ve received almost all the answers to these questions and this week we are sending our answer to the disciplinary commission.”

Smirnov, a former sports minister in Soviet times, said he did not believe there was any state backing for doping, a key accusation levelled by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Smirnov was speaking as two outside experts appointed by WADA gave speeches to an audience of Russian sports officials on how to comply with anti-doping rules.