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	I зимняя Спартакиада сильнейших спортсменов (8-18 февраля 2024 года, Златоуст, Красная поляна, Красноярск, Куса, Магнитогорск, Миасс, Нижний Тагил, Тюмень, Уралец и Челябинск)



	XXII Олимпийские зимние игры (6-23 февраля 2014 года, Сочи, Россия)



	Игры XXXI Олимпиады (5-21 августа 2016 года, Рио-де-Жанейро, Бразилия)



	XXIII Олимпийские зимние игры (9-25 февраля 2018 года, Пхенчхан, Южная Корея)



	Игры XXXII Олимпиады (23 июля – 8 августа 2021 года, Токио, Япония)



	XXIV Олимпийские зимние игры (4-20 февраля 2022 года, Пекин, Китай)

АРХИВ


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ПОИСК ПО САЙТУ

22:52 31.07.2008

ATHLETICS. Valentin Balakhnichev: The suspension of our athletes instead of disqualification, I believe is proof that they aren’t accused, but only suspected

Yesterday, July 30th, the International Association Athletics Federation (IAAF) informed the All-Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) of its decision to temporarily suspend six Russian athletes from participation in all competitions under the auspices of the IAAF, including the Olympic Games - Yelena Soboleva, Dariya Pishchalnikova, Gulfiya Khanafeeva, Tatiana Tomashova, Yulia Fomenko and Svetlana Cherkasova. The ARAF President, IAAF Council member Valentin Balakhnichev tells the Agency of Sport Information "All Sport" all the details of the case.

- Valentin Vasilyevich, when did you learn of the suspicions concerning the Russian athletes?
- In June. I was informed that a DNA mismatch was discovered in the doping samples taken from seven Russian athletes in 2007. Check samples were taken from out-of-competition tests during April-May 2007 and at the World Championships in Osaka during August-September 2007. A folder was put before me regarding the case: “Valentin, please familiarize yourself with this carefully.”

- How have subsequent events developed?
- The first condition of our conversation was information on the closure of the case, so we took no action, nor could we take any. On the eve of the pre-Olympic Russian Athletics Championships in Kazan, I asked the IAAF the question: “What do we do? Should we allow or disallow the athletes to compete?” Incidentally, we did actually exclude one athlete from participating in the Russian championships on the basis of a positive “A”-sample. But the IAAF replied that there was no basis for suspensions at the moment. As you know, all these sportswomen competed in Kazan, and five of them were selected for the Olympic team for the Games in Beijing. Furthermore, Yelena Soboleva produced the season’s best result in the world in the 800 m. On the day following the Russian championships, July 21st, Gabriel Dolle flew into Moscow. The sportswomen agreed to take a DNA test - and Gabriel Dolle himself took swabs from the insides of their cheeks. Incidentally, I consider this voluntary cooperation with the IAAF, not prescribed by any regulatory directive, this desire to understand what happened in reality on the part of our athletes, to be indirect evidence of their innocence. On Friday I was told: these tests have shown that the true DNA of the athletes doesn’t match the DNA from the samples dated April-May 2007. And yesterday the IAAF told us by e-mail of their decision to temporarily suspend Yelena Soboleva, Dariya Pishchalnikova, Gulfiya Khanafeeva, Tatiana Tomashova, Yulia Fomenko and Svetlana Cherkasova from participation in all competitions under the auspices of IAAF.

- Initially they reported nonconformity of the DNA from seven athletes. Why were only six suspended?
- The list also included Olga Yegorova, the two-time world champion from 2001. However, she wasn’t in Moscow during Gabriel Dolle’s visit, she never took a DNA test, so yesterday’s e-mail said nothing about her suspension. Now, I think, maybe the rest shouldn’t have taken the DNA test - then there would be no suspension (smiling sadly). Black humor.

- The IAAF compared the doping samples taken from our athletes in April-May and August-September 2007. They only reported their suspicions to you in June. Does DNA testing really take so long - six to eight months? Or did the idea of comparing samples only occur to someone at the IAAF relatively recently?
- Even at the first meeting in June, while still in a state of shock, I asked everyone present the question: “My colleagues in the IAAF who call me friend, why were you unable to tell me earlier? Why was everything done in secret, and now a month and a half before the Olympic Games you put me in such an interesting position?” They claimed that the tests were long and complicated, that everything was not obvious, and so on.

- However, as I understand it, the samples taken from the girls in Moscow were analyzed and compared to the DNA from the two prior ones literally within two or three days.
- If we figure from when they were taken and when we heard the results, that’s right.

- You used the phrase “the IAAF told us of their decision to suspend the sportswomen from participating in all competitions under the IAAF’s auspices.” This raises two questions. First: why did the IAAF make the decision, and not the national federation, as is customary in athletics? Second: why did the IAAF suspend but not disqualify these athletes?
- Indeed, according to usual practice, decisions on all doping cases, whether exculpatory or indictments, are handed down by the national federations. If the IAAF agrees with the judgment, they approve it, and if they don’t agree, they contest it in the court of sports arbitration (CAS) in Lausanne. But the IAAF has the right to make independent decisions on any matter, and in this case they took advantage of that right. Suspension instead of disqualification is evidence, I believe, that our athletes are not accused, but only suspected. Sometimes the IAAF, before making a final decision, will conduct a deeper investigation. But truly, the effect of the IAAF’s declared decision is that the girls already, unfortunately, won’t be able to participate in the Olympic Games in Beijing.

- And maybe the IAAF doesn’t disqualify, but rather suspends our athletes, because suspensions, unlike disqualifications, cannot be appealed to the CAS? Given that the CAS is now already working under the Olympic format and are obligated to consider all issues relating to the Olympic Games within 24-x hours, this is a very important nuance.
- When we consulted with the lawyers of the Russian Olympic Committee, they told us about this nuance.

- In the folder which you received in June, and in those messages that you received later, is there any evidence with which to charge or suspect?
- This is the most fundamental point: in all the documents we have on this case, there is no evidence, even indirect, that the samples were substituted by the athletes. Probably this cannot be proven in principle. The only grounds on which this decision rests is the different DNA in the different doping samples.

- Were any prohibited substances detected?
- No, none, not one.

- And do the IAAF anti-doping rules or the Code of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) say anything about sanctions against athletes whose samples for some reason have different DNA?
- The third version of the WADA Code, which will come into force on January 1st, 2009, states that DNA can serve as circumstantial evidence of the guilt or innocence of athletes.

- Does WADA know about the suspension of Russian athletes from participating in the Olympic games based upon DNA indices?
- I asked one person who’s in the central office of WADA, the same question. He replied: "We know that the IAAF began an experiment, and we support this experiment."

- What do you intend to do now?
- Now for me, as the head of the national federation, the most important thing is that this situation is not projected onto the entire Russian team, doesn’t interfere with its preparations for the Olympic Games and its successful performance there. I’m in touch with the girls, trying to reassure them, to help put together some kind of position. And I await further actions and decisions from the IAAF. The international federation has to take some action on this.

23:17 03.06.2007
OLYMPICS. Andrey Braginski: Ronningen isn’t the consultant of the Bid “Sochi 2014”
The Norwegian expert Petter Ronningen, who ran the Bid Committee “Lillehammer 1994”, gave the unfavorable opinion about the Austrian Salzburg and complimentary enough said about Russian Sochi, when he evaluated the Candidate Cities the Olympic Games 2014 on May, 29 in his interview to the News Agencies AFP and Reuters, that’s why the Bid Committee Salzburg 2014 gave the official complaint to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), isn’t the consultant of the Bid Committee Sochi 2014. The director of marketing communications of the Bid Committee Sochi 2014 Andrey Braginski told about it to the Agency of sport information “All Sport”.

10:47 31.05.2007
OLYMPICS. Scorpions, Boney M, Gypsy Kings will give concerts to support “Sochi 2014”
From the 24’h of June to the 4’h of July in the Sochi Concert Hall “Festivalny”, which seats 3500 spectators, there will be carried out a number of concerts of the World Pop Stars – the participants of the first World Football Championship among artists. The concerts will be held within the charity action “Under the flag of kindness” and to support of Sochi’s Bid to host the Winter Olympic games 2014. The director of the concert hall “Festivalny” Eugeny Pasnuk told about it to the Agency of sport information “All Sport”.

10:45 31.05.2007
ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS. Andrey Rodionenko: we showed Moscow the new stars
On May, 26 in the World Cup in Moscow the Russian Artistic Gymnastics Team won eight medals in ten exercises -- four gold medals, one silver and three bronze. The head coach of the Russian Team Andrey Rodionenko commented on the results of the tournament “All stars” to the Agency of sport information “All Sport”.

16:55 30.05.2007
OLYMPICS. Vladimir Putin will accept the first reconstructed runway in the Sochi airport
On June, 1, at the presence of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and fifty governors from all the regions of Russia there will be held the solemn ceremony of putting in operation the first reconstructed runway in the city’s airport in Sochi, which increase the chances of the Russian city in competition for the right to host the Winter Olympic Games 2014. The Vice-Mayor of Sochi Alexander Karandin told about it to the Agenccy of sport information “All Sport”.

16:50 30.05.2007
BOBSLEIGH & SKELETON. Thomas Platzer will prolong the contract with the Russian Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation for a year more
The famous German expert, the chief coach of the Russian Skeleton team Thomas Platzer will prolong the contract with the All-Russian Bobsleigh Federation in the beginning of June during his visit to Moscow. Thomas Platzer told about it to the Agency of sport information “All Sport”.

15:30 28.05.2007
ATHLETICS. Valery Kulichenko: Lysenko was ready to make crazy throws
During the All-Russian Athletics Competitions in Sochi the European Champion 2006, the World Record holder Tatiana Lysenko set the new World Record in the Hammer Throw -- 78 meters 61 centimeters. Her own previous World Record was 77,80 m. The head coach of the Russian Athletics Team Valery Kulichenko commented on the result of Tatiana Lysenko to the Agency of sport information “All Sport”.

15:27 28.05.2007
ATHLETICS. Julia Golubchikova: I am not ready to win the “Golden League” jackpot, but to compete with Isinbaeva in some competitions is already possible
During the All-Russian Athletics competitions in Sochi the European Pole Vault vice-champion 2007 Julia Golubchikova, in spite of the heat -- 36 degrees in the shade, showed the best result of the season in Europe and repeated her personal record -- 4,60 m. In spite of this fact she expressed dissatisfaction with the special correspondent of the Agency of sport information “All Sport”.

15:07 27.05.2007
ATHLETICS. Elena Isinbaeva may take part in the competitions in Moscow this Summer
The Olympic Champion, the many times World Champion and world record holder in Pole Vault Elena Isinbaeva may take part in the competitions in Moscow in this year – on August, 5 in the traditional International Tournament “Russian Challenge”. The personal coach of Elena Isinbaeva Vitaly Petrov told about to the Agency of sport information “All Sport”.

15:05 27.05.2007
HOCKEY. The World Hockey Championship 2007 passed without doping scandals
The World Hockey Championship, which was held in Moscow and Moscow region Mytishy on April, 27 – May, 13, passed without doping scandals. This information the Agency of sport information “All Sport” got from the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA), after they had got the report about the results of all the tests they had done.

15:03 27.05.2007
SKI JUMPING. Vladimir Slavsky: in the Olympics-2010 we will fight for 1-3 places in Ski Jumping, not for the 3-6
Some changes have been introducedto the complex targeting program of the preparation of the Russian Team to the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver 2010. The president of the Russian Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Federation Vladimir Slavsky told about these changes to the Agency of sport information “All Sport”.

14:04 24.05.2007
ATHLETICS. Vitaly Petrov: in this Summer season Isinbaeva will be most careful
The Olympic Champion, the many times world record holder and World Champion in Pole Vault the Russian Athlete Elena Isinbaeva will open this Summer season with the first competition of the Golden League, which will be held in the capital of Norway Oslo on June, 15. The personal coach of Elena Isinbaeva Vitaly Petrov told about Isinbaeva’s plans of to the Agency of sport information “All Sport”.

14:03 24.05.2007
SKI JUMPING. Former doctor of the German Weightlifting team may start working with the Russian Ski Jumpers
The famous German doctor Klaus Huttner, who has been working for a long time in the German Weightlifting team, may start working in the Russian Ski Jumping team. The president of the Russian Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Federation Vladimir Slavsky told about it to the Agency of sport information “All Sport”.