No mention of Kenya despite cases of banned substance use
Barrister & Solicitor Richard McLaren, chairman of the WADA independent commission Richard W Pound, and Head of Department Cybercrime with Bavarian Landeskriminalamt (LKA) Guenter Younger after the presentation before the press of a report on corruption and money-laundering within international athletics on November 9, 2015 in Geneva. PHOTO | AFP
What you need to know:
It’s the same report that Kenya featured prominently with Seppelt, of ARD, implicating top Kenyans athletes in doping and cover-up.
Wada said Russian “sabotaged” the 2012 London Olympics and called for life ban of five athletes’ including the women’s 800m gold medallist Maroya Savinova and bronze medallist Ekaterina Poistogova.
However, Athletics Kenya vice President David Okeyo, who sits at the IAAF council said he can’t comment on the report since it didn’t touch on Kenya.
Is Kenya out of the woods regarding doping in athletics?
That was the question as the country escaped World Anti-Doping Agency’s (Wada’s) scrutiny after they revealed nothing about Kenya’s situation, but recommended the suspension of Russia.
The commission chaired by Dick Pound recommended that Wada immediately declare the Russian federation “non-compliant” with the global anti-doping code, and that the IAAF suspend the federation from competition.
RUSSIA 'SABOTAGED 2012 OLYMPICS
Wada said Russian “sabotaged” the 2012 London Olympics and called for life ban of five athletes’ including the women’s 800m gold medallist Maroya Savinova and bronze medallist Ekaterina Poistogova.
That could see South Africa’s Caster Semenya, who won silver getting gold with Kenya’s Pamela Jelimo, who finished fourth getting silver.
“IAAF must act pretty fast,” said Pound while announcing findings of a team investigating doping in Russia following an investigative report by German journalist Hajo Seppelt that was aired in 2014. “All the allegations in the documentary have been proven true...This is a brilliant piece of investigative journalism,” said Pound.
It’s the same report that Kenya featured prominently with Seppelt, of ARD, implicating top Kenyans athletes in doping and cover-up.
“I don’t believe Russia is the only country with a doping problem and I don’t believe that athletics is the only sport with a doping problem,” said Pound.
However, Athletics Kenya vice President David Okeyo, who sits at the IAAF council said he can’t comment on the report since it didn’t touch on Kenya.
“Let us stick to the report in which it’s only the IAAF President Sebastian Coe, who can talk about it,” said Okeyo.
