Russia wants to be transparent on the issue of doping. Its national anti-doping agency, the RUSADA, illustrates this by revealing the figures of its controls. They turn out to be massive. As of March 7, the agency has conducted a total of 1,860 tests since the beginning of the year, both in and out of competition, including 899 in January alone. According to its director general, Veronika Loginova, more than 11,000 samples have been taken in 2022, a result slightly above the objectives. For 2023, RUSADA appears to have targeted cross-country skiing, particularly one of its athletes. The TASS agency reports that the Russian cross-country skier Veronika Stepanova (pictured above), Olympic champion with the 4×5 km relay at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, has been tested three times since the beginning of January. Since the end of March, RUSADA has concluded a cooperation agreement with the Turkish anti-doping laboratory, a WADA-accredited facility. It allows the Russian agency to continue its anti-doping program within the regulatory timeframe, despite the reduction in air traffic from Russia to Europe.
