WADA unanimously declares Russian Anti-Doping Agency as non-compliant

The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) has been declared non-complaint with international sport’s anti-doping code with immediate effect.

Russia was provisionally suspended from all international athletics competitions by world governing body the IAAF last Friday when its council members voted 22-1 in favour of the sanction after the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) independent commission’s findings of state-sponsored, systemic doping practices.

And now WADA’s foundation board, which met at Colorado Springs in the United States, has said RUSADA should be declared non-compliant immediately.

A tweet on WADA’s official Twitter account said:

WADA Compliance Review Committee "unanimous in its view that RUSADA should be declared non-compliant with immediate effect" #WadaReport

— WADA (@wada_ama) November 18, 2015

The WADA Compliance Chair added:

WADA Compliance Chair: Importance of effective sanctions absolutely key 2deterring countries from practicing inadequate anti-doping programs

— WADA (@wada_ama) November 18, 2015

In addition, Andorra, Argentina, Bolivia and Ukraine have also been declared as non-compliant, with Brazil, Belgium, France, Greece, Mexico and Spain placed on a compliance watchlist.

The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) has agreed to oversee changes and said it was “determined” clean athletes will compete at the Rio Games next summer and any drug cheats will be “punished”.

The ROC has agreed to make RUSADA, the anti-doping laboratory in Moscow, and the National Athletics Federation (ARAF) “compliant with the WADA code and all other international anti-doping regulations as soon as possible” and said all athletes, officials and coaches found guilty of doping will be punished in accordance with international anti-doping regulations.

WADA’s director general David Howman confirmed at the meeting that there must be no gaps in testing when it comes to non-complaint countries.

1/2..WADA's Howman confirms that in countries of non-compliance, there must be no gaps in testing.WADA 2 work with International Federations

— WADA (@wada_ama) November 18, 2015

2/2...& other NADOs to ensure they test all athletes in those countries and so there are no gaps...

— WADA (@wada_ama) November 18, 2015

3/3...WADA 2 put strong strategy in place & testing will be done @ cost of country declared non-compliant. To be implemented immediately.

— WADA (@wada_ama) November 18, 2015

A clear roadmap is emerging for sport at this "crossroads" meeting for the anti-doping movement. Protecting clean athletes the rallying call

— WADA (@wada_ama) November 18, 2015

Kenya were earlier warned by WADA that they could be ruled non-compliant with its code if they fail to provide satisfactory answers to questions about their anti-doping programme.

The WADA independent commission report which said Russia was guilty of state-sponsored doping also added that it was not the only country “facing the problem of orchestrated doping in sport” and the pressure has intensified on Kenya.

The African nation topped the medal table at August’s World Championships in Beijing, amid allegations of doping cover-ups in the country.

A statement from WADA posted on Twitter on Wednesday read:

1/2...WADA has requested Kenya to answers questions relating to its anti-doping program. Await those answers, and if unsatisfactory, then...

— WADA (@wada_ama) November 18, 2015

2/3...it could me a matter for Compliance Review Committee. WADA is encouraged by media reports that Kenyan cabinet has now approved rules..

— WADA (@wada_ama) November 18, 2015

3/3...and approved laws and that it will commit funding to Kenyan anti-doping program.

— WADA (@wada_ama) November 18, 2015

It emerged at the weekend that Athletics Kenya vice-president David Okeyo, an IAAF council member, had been referred to the IAAF ethics commission after it was revealed he was the subject of a police investigation in his native Kenya.

Okeyo is alleged to have siphoned off funds from a sponsorship deal between the national association and sportswear firm Nike.