ATHLETICS. Nikolay Durmanov: they will try to present the accident occurred with our athletes in Portugal as not a casual coincidence of circumstances but a realized evasion of passing out of competition doping control

The absence of three Russian athletes - the silver medalist of the winter European championship 2007 in Triple jump Olesya Bufalova, the European champion 2006 in relay 4x400 m., the silver medalist of the European championship in 00 m. Tatyana Veshkurova and the participant of the Olympic Games and the two latest World championships in 800 m. Svetlana Charkasova - in the disposition of their teams at the training camp in Portugal during the visit of the doping officers of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) may lead to not only a warning but disqualification. The Portugal specialists will for sure try to prove that the occurred case wasn’t just a casual coincidence of circumstances but a realized evasion of passing out of competition doping control. The Head of the anti-doping inspection of the Russian Olympic Committee, the doctor of medical sciences, the professor Nikolay Durmanov expressed such opinion to the Agency of sport information “All Sport”.

“We haven’t received in Russia any documents about the accidents with the Russian athletes in Portugal yet. - Nikolay Durmanov said. - But everything that occurred, in case of the official conformation, causes in me deep grief. As minimum, we can say about non-professionalism of the Russian athletes - and very experienced athletes, who competed at the largest official tournaments, which means that they very well know the letter of Law and spirit of international anti-doping control. Disco is a great kind of leisure for such beautiful girls, especially during the period of hard pre-season work. But before leaving the place even for a short time, the real professionals always leave a note with the name of the club, number of the mobile phone - to avoid vain scandals, unnecessary expenditure of nervous cells. But in any case you can say that in the noise of disco you didn’t hear the ring of the phone. For the moment the only we can is to sympathize: nonsense, misunderstanding, ignorance may lead to the most serious consequences. According to the acting anti-doping rules, evasion or refusal to pass doping control practically automatically equated to the positive test. I am afraid that the Portugal experts of WADA will try to prove that the occurred case wasn’t just a casual coincidence of circumstances, not just the absence in the announced place (this infringement for the first time is punished with just warning, and only for the second or the third time - with disqualification), but a realized, aimed evasion of passing out of competition doping control. The Portugal experts have a grudge against our athletes - it is connected with the recent case in boat racing, and we can’t expect from them understanding or condescension. We can only hope that we have enough arguments and facts to convince WADA in unintentioalness. I don’t want very much for such a sort period of time before the Olympic Games in Beijing the number of our valorous athletes thinned after such accidents”.

Nikolay Durmanov also said that the accident occurred with the Russian athletes in Portugal has confirmed once again: “there is no trifles in our business”. “Educational, explanatory program - as well on Federal level, as inside each federation - are important and useful not less than increasing anti-doping control and renovation of the equipment in the anti-doping laboratory, to which we for the recent time pay a lot of attention and means. The expenses on these programs are not big, and they may pay back a lot”, Nikolay Durmanov said.