Russian whistleblower appeals IOC ban
July 26, 2016
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), recommended Stepanova be allowed to participate in the Olympics. The 800-meter runner was caught for doping, but later came forward to expose the Russian doping system.
On Sunday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it would be up to individual sports federations to decide which athletes were eligible for competition at the Rio games, but that anyone who had been sanctioned for doping should not be able to participate.
This denied Stepanova a chance to compete at the games which start in Rio de Janeiro on August 5 as she had been sanctioned for doping in 2013.
She claims she had no choice but to comply with the Russian system. Appealing the decision, Stepanova said in a statement on Monday the IOC decision was "based on wrong and untrue statements."
It was in 2014 that Stepanova and her husband gave evidence to a German documentary film maker, which led to a WADA commissioned report into the scale of doping by athletes in Russia.
The IOC recognised Stepanova's testimony and public statements as having "made a contribution to the protection and promotion of clean athletes, fair play and the integrity and authenticity of sport, the Rules of the Olympic Charter related to the organisation of the Olympic Games run counter to the recognition of the status of neutral athletes."
Stepanova said the IOC ruling would dissuade other, future whistleblowers from coming forward. She called on the IOC "to review their decision on the basis of the information provided."
Strong words
Stepanova's husband, Vitaly Stepanov, spoke out against the IOC on Monday, telling Reuters "My personal view, from the communications we had with people from the IOC, those people had no interest in clean sport." He added "I got the impression the only thing they cared about, even the person from the ethics department, is protecting the IOC as an organization."
Stepanov had previously worked for Russia's anti-doping agency, and supported his wife's testimony about the Russian system.
The couple now live in an undisclosed location in the United States.
He said that he and his wife would not be accepting the IOC invitation to travel to Rio as spectators: "Is that how IOC treats whistleblowers? Make them quiet by giving them IOC accreditation and access to VIP lounges," he asked.
jm/kl (Reuters, AP)