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WADA gives RUSADA three weeks to explain ‘inconsistencies’ in Moscow lab data

The Russian Anti-Doping Agency has three weeks to explain "inconsistencies" in the data retrieved from the Moscow laboratories

According to the Inside the Games site, WADA has accused the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) of manipulating the data from the Moscow Laboratories collected earlier this year, and given it three weeks to explain the “inconsistencies” in the results. Meanwhile, the World Championships start in Doha at the end of this week.

RELATED: WADA re Russia: no sanctions for missing Dec. 31 deadline

We reported in January that the data transfer from the Moscow lab was complete, and that analysis of the data was expected to take two to three months. If at any point the data was found to have been tampered with, the CRC recommended that immediate action be taken, which “very likely” would include banning Russian athletes from the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games and prohibiting Russia from hosting any world championships in any sport for a period of time to be determined. Eight months later, Russia is now being asked to account for inconsistencies in the lab data, possibly including omitted positive doping test results.

After being suspended for almost three years, RUSADA was re-instated last September amid negative reactions from the athletics world. If after the three-week deadline, WADA finds that the data have been deliberately manipulated, it could affect Russia’s ability to compete at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. The Compliance Review Committee will meet on October 23 to discuss RUSADA’s explanations.

RELATED: Russia’s reinstatement by WADA called “greatest treachery against clean athletes in Olympic history”

The Russian government has indicated it was co-operating with WADA and would continue to co-operate in order to explain the inconsistencies.

In other anti-doping news, the German press has circulated hidden-camera video of what it claims are two “top-level” Kenyan athletes headed for the World Championships being injected with EPO. It does not identify the athletes or the doctor who claimed to be supplying eight athletes with the performance-enhancing drug.

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