"Serious sanctions are unlikely to follow": what is known about the doping scandal in Ukraine

Another investigation by the World Anti-Doping Organization (WADA) has affected Ukraine.

For the violations voiced, the country may be declared inappropriate to anti-doping legislation, and athletes may be barred from participating in international competitions, including the Olympic Games.

The next meeting of the executive committee of the organization will be held on November 24 in Paris, and at it, perhaps, the first decisions will be made.

Forewarned is forearmed

The grounds for removing Ukraine from WADA are substantial. Last week, a report was released by the Investigation Department (I&I) of an organization codenamed Operation Hercules. During the audit, which began back in 2019, violations were established by the National Anti-Doping Center of Ukraine (NADCU). In particular, it is alleged that he informed athletes about the upcoming doping control, and since 2012 has been practicing unreasonable advance collection of samples without exceptional circumstances.

I&I Director Gunther Younger said there is strong evidence that NADCU contacted athletes or their coaches to ask them to come to the center for testing the next day.

This was done especially often before international competitions.

And in 2021, another gross violation occurred: the Ukrainian organization deliberately reported six samples taken during the tournament as tests that were passed out of competition.

The day after the publication of the report, the leadership of the NADCU resigned.

The director of the organization, Ivan Kurlishchuk, and his deputy, Yaroslav Kruchek, left their posts.

Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine Vadim Gutsait said that the state will immediately and harshly respond to prohibited actions if they are detected.

“The ministry takes a clear position in the fight against doping and will not allow anyone to violate anti-doping rules,” Gutsait wrote on Facebook.

Thus, the Ukrainian country virtually tacitly agreed with the charges brought against WADA.

The athletes did not become silent either.

Walker Igor Glavan said that in athletics it all began in 2017.

According to him, when Denis Tobias became the head coach of the team, he always called and warned about doping control, even when the athletes were at the overseas training camp.

Glavan added that not all athletes liked it: they were afraid of provocations from competitors.

The Beijing Olympics are unlikely to be affected by sanctions

Member of the WADA Board of Founders, former Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine Igor Zhdanov expressed the opinion that this investigation will painfully hit not only the sports, but also the international reputation of the country.

“In the worst scenario, we may be banned from performing under the national flag.

And, of course, we will not have any certified laboratory accredited by WADA for the next ten, or maybe 15 years.

We will continue to spend a lot of money and send doping samples abroad, ”Zhdanov said.

According to the official, the resignation of the NADTSU leadership is not enough to extinguish the scandal.

At the same time, he suggested that Ukrainian athletes would not have time to be banned from participating in the Beijing Olympics, since this is a technically difficult process.

The 2011 world champion in the triple jump, and now the deputy of the Servant of the People faction Olga Saladukha, advised not to escalate the situation.

“It is too early to draw any conclusions, because we do not yet have a final WADA report ... But the Ukrainian sports community should not sit idly by.

A parallel internal investigation is needed, which must be objective.

I am convinced that the overwhelming majority of our athletes are not interested in doping.

After all, personal prestige and reputation are more important than a victory gained by dishonest means, ”she said.

However, WADA's sanctions are likely to be not as harsh as Zhdanov suggests.

This conclusion can be made after the comment of the president of the organization, Witold Banka.

The specialist noted that Ukraine will be offered “corrective measures”.

According to him, if they are not implemented, NADTSU will face serious consequences.

“The report is on my desk.

He has shown a serious violation of the rules since 2012.

Perhaps, if the agency complied with them, a number of athletes of the Ukrainian national team missed the Olympic Games due to the lack of the required number of tests.

WADA is awaiting the recommendation of our Compliance Committee.

The final decision will be taken by the executive committee, "- quotes the words of the official" Match TV ".

Will be punished softer than Russia

According to the former secretary general of the All-Russian Athletics Federation Mikhail Butov, sanctions against Ukraine should not be as serious as against Russia, since there is no great integration of sports and the state in the country.

“It is my personal conviction that at one time we were treated so harshly, because the Russian state is actively involved in sports.

On the one hand, this is good, there are many advantages.

But when it comes to tackling such issues, it turns out that the sport is too integrated.

I think that Russia was punished so severely for this very reason.

If there is no such connection between sports and the state, serious sanctions are unlikely to follow.

At one time we saw doping scandals in the USA, Canada, Finland, Turkey.

Everywhere, everything ended in big problems for the national federations, but it did not go too far, "Butov explained in an interview with RT.

At the same time, the specialist noted that Ukraine had long been monitored by WADA.

He recalled: at one time there was a list of five countries that were under the close control of the organization.

“Problems with doping violations exist all over the world.

I spoke about this back in 2015.

He proposed to approach the problem in a comprehensive manner, and not to punish individual countries.

Otherwise, it will be time bombs that will explode at the most unexpected moment, ”Butov said.

According to the former ARAF Secretary General, it is worth waiting for a reaction on this issue from the International Association of Athletics Federations, or rather from the independent anti-doping organization in athletics Athletics Integrity Unit.

“At one time, World Athletics acted very wisely by creating this structure.

Everything related to the use of illegal drugs is now directed there.

This body investigates cases.

Moreover, he does everything quietly and peacefully, and then announces his decisions.

I do not exclude that in this case the investigation is also underway, we just do not know about it, ”Butov said.

Russian politicians disagreed on what the consequences should be for the Ukrainian side for these violations.

2006 Olympic champion in speed skating, State Duma deputy Svetlana Zhurova believes that only those who used illegal methods should be punished.

“I am against collective responsibility ... I consider it wrong to punish the deprivation of the flag for an entire country, regardless of whether it is Russia or Ukraine.

For proven incidents, the punishment must be personal, "Sport-Express quotes her as saying.

And the chairman of the State Duma Committee on Physical Education and Sports, President of the Russian Curling Federation Dmitry Svishchev expressed the opinion that if fraud is proven, the most stringent sanctions should be applied to the Ukrainian anti-doping agency, up to and including revocation of accreditation.

“WADA has been investigating violations for a long time, unfortunately.

The main thing is that this matter should be brought to an end.

Either to acquit the violator, or to punish, ”he said.