Russian anti-doping agency 'rotten', says Australian official

Australia's leading Olympic official John Coates has labelled Russia's anti-doping agency as "rotten to the core."

Coates, Vice-President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), made his comments in Melbourne on Friday at the presentation of the gold medal to Australian walker Jared Tallent for the 2012 London Olympics, reports Xinhua news agency.

Tallent finished second in the 50-km walk event in London, but was awarded the gold medal on Friday after Russia's Sergey Kirdyapkin, who came first on that day, was disqualified for doping breaches.

Coates, who is also the President of the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC), took the opportunity to condemn Russia's anti-doping and athletics bodies, saying the way they had behaved during the investigation into Kirdyapkin was deceitful.

"Presenting an Olympic medal is always an honor, but more so on this occasion to be part of rectifying, in some way, the massive injustice perpetrated on Jared by a doping treat aided by a Russian Anti-Doping Agency and Russian Athletics Federation that were rotten to the core," Coates said.

Coates said the Russian Anti-Doping Authority purposefully structured Kirdyapkin's doping suspension so that he would be able to keep his gold medal and if it weren't for the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF), Tallent would have never received the medal.

"We would not have been here today had the International Athletics Federation not successfully appealed against him (Kirdyapkin) and five other Russian athletes who had received favourable treatment," Coates said.

Coates' allegation comes as the IAAF prepares to make its decision on whether Russia will be allowed to send track and field athletes to Rio Olympics in August.

A report released by the World Anti-Doping Agency on Thursday made accusations of Russian officials using bribery and intimidation to prevent WADA officers from carrying out doping tests on Russian athletes.

--IANS

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