President Thomas Bach highlighted the IOC's 'zero tolerance policy' for cheaters in light of latest doping allegations (Photo: Getty Images)
LAUSANNE, May 18, 2016 – IOC President Thomas Bach admitted on Wednesday that doping in sport had reached "unprecedented levels of criminality", and that the International Olympic Committee’s reinforced zero tolerance policy could lead to lifelong bans for doped athletes and entire federations, following further allegations of doping in Russian sport.
The IOC President also emphasized that the results of the retests on samples from both Beijing 2008 and the additional London 2012 samples announced yesterday would be available ahead of the Games in Rio, with initial results to be available at the beginning of June.
In a teleconference following an impromptu IOC Board Meeting on Tuesday, President Bach addressed a number of pressing issues bearing down on the International Olympic Committee with just months to go until the Rio Games. These, along with turmoil in Brazil and corruption allegations aimed at Tokyo 2020, involve the latest and most damning evidence pointing to state-organized Russian doping and yet another shadow cast on the integrity of the IOC’s fight for clean athletes.
"Should the investigation prove the allegations true it would represent a shocking new dimension in doping with an, until now, unprecedented level of criminality," Bach had previously said.
On Tuesday, the IOC announced that a “crackdown on cheaters” had led to 454 samples from Beijing 2008 had been retested and that suspicious results were discovered among 31 athletes from 12 countries, across six sports. An additional 250 samples from the London 2012 Games are set to be retested in June. Results from both retests could lead to an unprecedented ban of athletes from the Games in Rio.
On Wednesday, President Bach highlighted that in order to keep dopers away, to protect clean athletes and the integrity of the Games, lifelong bans and suspensions could be issued to those found guilty. When asked however, who would be issuing bans, including those that would prevent athlete from competing in the upcoming Games in Rio, Bach deflected direct responsibility both the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and from the IOC itself in banning entire NOCs.
"Should there be evidence of an organized system contaminating other sports, international federations and the IOC will have to make the difficult decision between collective responsibility and individual justice," Bach explained, adding that the IOC would act with all the “appropriate measures in its power”.
"This could range from life-long Olympic bans for any implicated person, to tough financial sanctions, to acceptance of suspension or exclusion of entire national federations like the already existing one for the Russian Athletics Federations by the IAAF."
The final decision, however, according to the IOC president, would come down to the Federations themselves, as is the case with the IAAF suspending the Russian Athletics Federation.
Pressed on the issue of Sochi lab allegations, Bach was stoic in not speculating – on what actually happened, on the chances of Russian athletes making it to Rio, and on what WADA will find in the “full-fledged inquiry” into the Sochi 2014 lab that the IOC had demanded, in light of former chief Dr. Rodchenkov’s detailed accounts on government-sponsored doping.
The IOC president insisted that the Russian Olympic Committee had agreed to give its full cooperation in the WADA inquiry. Bach however, refused to state outright whether he still trusts Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, who just days before had issued an apology for the country’s doping problem, but denied state-sponsored doping of any kind.
What the IOC was keen on highlighting, was that in Brazil things would be different. After much speculation on the Rio 2016 anti-doping lab -with initial reports suggesting that samples would be flow out to Europe as was the case during the 2014 FIFA World Cup – the IOC put its full support in the labs functionality and security. “The shining light of the Games in Rio”, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said. The key question that was left unanswered was whether security in Rio would be upped, and to what extent following the Sochi lab allegations.
Teleconference Q & A:
Q: With the latest information regarding Sochi, we also have 31 positive test from the Beijing Games, 250 London samples waiting to be tested, how confident you are going to Rio that the IOC has done its best?
IOC President Thomas Bach: We are doing everything to get down to the bottom of it – it’s why we are taking these steps, in respect to any sport, and in any country. This is not a decision or a procedure you do in one way or in the other. We started in August last year with the Intelligence Gathering, this is a very professional undertaking, we look all the aspects, and we are moving forward.
Q: Will you exclude Russia from Rio? The entire NOC?
A: We are clear and if these allegations are true we will hold everybody responsible. This will include different kinds of actions, life-long bans - not only for athletes but their immediate entourage- financial sanctions on the organizations involved, suspension or exclusions. I will not speculate on the result, this is a difficult decision to be made between collective responsibility and individual justice. We have indicated different levels and options.
Q: Prosecutors in the US have started criminal charges against Russia regarding the Sochi allegations, is this welcome or not?
A: [The IOC] has no official information on this.
Q: The Tokyo bid issue, has it damaged the Olympic movement, will it lead to another scandal in the IOC?
A: This is speculation again, allegation on Olympic candidature. There again this is about zero tolerance. We have in the IOC to fight against corruption, we do everything we can to address and fight this evil., [The IOC] took note on the statement of French prosecutors and the Japanese side, we will maintain our position and continue to actively cooperate with this French enquiry.
Q: Who will take the final decision on banning athlete from the Games, WADA, the IOC or someone else?
A: First of all this is in the hands of the international federations in regards to their sports, with the example of IAAF, who have their meeting on June 17 regarding the suspension of athletes.
Q: In the retest of samples, are you targeting the same athletes from both Beijing and London?
A: I can only tell that some of the athletes are the same in Beijing and London.
Q: Can the tests be finalized in time for Rio?
A: This is up to WADA, [the IOC] had consultations with them, they will do everything to speed this enquiry up and to shed full light on the allegations. The timing is one of the reason again I am calling to everybody to turn to WADA today with any allegations.
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