“Some just want to get a serving of hype”: Pozdnyakov about the RUSADA trial with WADA, the removal of VFLA and the problem of coronavirus

“We try to be flexible in making any decisions. This is our advantage. ”

- The Youth Winter Olympics ended, in which the Russians took first place. Expected such a result?

- Honestly, I did not expect that for the first time in history we will win the Winter Youth Olympic Games. And I, and many of our specialists, of course, hoped that the athletes would have medals in different disciplines, but to win the team classification among the hosts, especially on the last day of the Games, is, of course, worth a lot. The best performance of our team in the entire, albeit not very long, history of the Youth Olympics!

- Which of the athletes impressed you the most?

- All sports have made a great contribution to the overall victory. Our athletes won medals in 11 of 16 disciplines - that is, in more than half. But most importantly, of course, the first and final. The starting victory was brought to us by biathlete Alyona Mokhova, then the rest of the guys picked up the initiative. And, as they say, the unconditional victory of hockey players became a cherry on the cake. She brought us the team first place.

- At the Youth Olympics, ski mountaineering competitions were held. How do you evaluate the prospects of including this sport in the program of adult games?

- Yes, the program of the Winter Olympics can still be supplemented; it is not as extensive as the summer one. And, in my opinion, skiing has very good prospects. The reason is simple: the format of these competitions is interesting to the public, it is a very dynamic sport.

- That is, entertainment is taken into account in this matter?

- Of course. TV ratings dictate a lot, if not all. The most watchable and spectacular sports always have good prospects for inclusion in the Olympic program.

- How do you evaluate the decision of the Ministry of Sports to deprive VFLA of accreditation, and the presidium of the organization to transfer control to the working group of the ROC?

- I would like to emphasize that OCD has consistently pursued its policy of replacing the leadership of the VFLA. Unfortunately, our colleagues from the federation were not able to solve the tasks that were set for them. In particular, the task of restoring membership in the International Federation. At the end of November last year, the working group of the ROC called on the leadership of the federation to resign. Several months were lost, and this can seriously complicate the task of ensuring the participation of our athletes in the Olympic Games. Recently, we sent an invitation to the International Athletics Federation, as well as an invitation to a special independent commission that monitors the integrity of this sport. We have been trying to get in touch with her for a long time, and now it’s just a convenient time for this. And we invite them to cooperate in order to show: we try to be flexible in making any decisions. This is our advantage.

- How long can it take to recover and is there a chance to catch up to the Olympic Games in Tokyo?

- I would rephrase the question a little: is there any chance for our athletes to speak at these Games at all? For us, this is now the key task. But I am pretty sure that the working group will achieve this.

- Is an invitation for athletes from the IOC possible?

- The Olympic Charter states that the Games are a competition between athletes, which is determined by the National Olympic Committee. In my opinion, at the moment there is no need for any additional invitation from the IOC. I think that we will solve this problem at our level.

"Some just want a serving of hype."

- World Athletics demanded by February 10 to provide an answer in the Lysenko case. How will the OCD working group respond?

- It's not quite like that. Indeed, a letter was sent to the Minister of Sports and the previous leadership of the federation. We, in turn, sent a proposal to send a representative of World Athletics to the working group. Now we are waiting for an answer.

- WADA requires Russia to open hearings in the CAS on the RUSADA case, similar statements were issued by initiative groups of foreign athletes. Does the Russian side agree to this? Is it on Russia's hands?

- Here we need to start with the fact that in the history of international sports arbitration, there has not yet been such a case when the plaintiff, who in this case is WADA, asked for an open trial. And personally, I believe that there is no need to change the tradition and create such a precedent. But this is my personal opinion, and lawyers must provide information about the pros and cons of each option. And after that RUSADA will make a decision. But in this case, it is possible that some just want to get a portion of hype.

- In what capacity will the OCD take part in these hearings?

- OCD is the third interested party in this dispute, along with the Paralympic Committee, as well as the International Olympic and Paralympic Committees. Unfortunately, WADA refused a number of athletes to participate as third parties, although they submitted an individual request. The requests of several federations were also rejected. And personally, it’s not entirely clear to me how an organization requiring a public process rejects the participation of third parties as public persons, which are athletes and public organizations. As for the OCD, we intend to use all our rights at the upcoming hearing.

- And what will be your position?

- It will be based on the current Olympic Charter and its main postulates. The IOC has no complaints about OCD as an institution, no complaints about national federations - this was stated in the corresponding press release. And on the part of WADA, in the recommendations that the compliance group submitted to the executive committee of this organization for approval and referral to CAS, there were also no suspicions related to the activities of our organization. That is why the ROC, as a sovereign national Olympic Committee, fulfills all its duties and enjoys all the rights that are prescribed in the Olympic Charter. This is our position, and our lawyers will defend it.

- The CAS calendar does not yet have a hearing date for the WADA and RUSADA cases . When to expect them?

- The calendar must be agreed with all parties - this is the procedure. But first, arbitrators will be appointed to take charge of our case. This is also a rather long process, but as soon as they are selected, the dates of the meeting will be determined.

“We are forced to adjust the training program not only for the 2020 Games, but also for the 2022 Games”

- How did you react to the story of Paralympic Mikhail Astashov, who works as a courier for a trip to the Paralympics?

- This is rather a question for my colleagues from the Paralympic Committee. But if we consider my position as an athlete, then I cannot help but note that very many athletes have to go through serious difficulties in order to achieve what they want in sports and take part in major international competitions. Yes, for this they work a lot on themselves. And everyone here chooses his own path. If this young man is looking for means to fulfill his dream, then he can only be supported. Although this may not be enough.

- What do you have in mind?

- In order to take part in the Olympic or Paralympic Games, you still need to meet many sports criteria. If Astashov passes the selection, which is a test for any person, we all, of course, will cheer for him at the Games. I hope that our colleagues from the Paralympic Committee will organize everything for him to speak. But, again, the desire to participate in big tournaments really motivates a lot of people. This is especially true for Paralympics who cannot participate in the regular Olympics. These are generally very courageous people, and society must support their desire to compete.

- How did the OCD react to the outbreak of coronavirus? Will this affect the preparation for the Olympics?

- We take this problem very seriously, because it can affect the entire Russian sport. China is one of the most significant countries in terms of the Olympic movement - a large number of competitions and various events are traditionally held there. But everything that was planned for February and March was canceled. The National Olympic Committee of China notified us of this. April is still in doubt, and the committee will still consult with the local ministry of health. But we proceed from the worst case scenario - that all competitions will be postponed or postponed until May, and this, of course, is very unpleasant.

- Will the Olympic Committee take any action in this regard?

“Now, together with colleagues from the international federation, we are looking for a way to reformat the calendar, as well as preparation for the competitions and the training process, to protect our athletes from the threat of infection. We are closely following this whole story. And the fact that even a special government commission was created only confirms that everything is very serious.

- Which of the canceled events were especially important?

- At the moment, the biggest problem is the abolition of tests for representatives of the ski disciplines, who will perform in Beijing in 2022. The fact is that two years before the Games, all national Olympic committees have the opportunity to take part in testing the texture and structure of snow. And for skiing disciplines, these characteristics, of course, are especially important. So the cancellation of these tests is very bad news for us. It turns out that we are now forced to adjust the training program not only for the 2020 Games, but also for the 2022 Games.