After Qatar, Russia. Russian sport was splashed twice in the same day, this Wednesday, December 3, 2014, by media revelations with a strong scent of sulfur. Two cases which suggest that doping is commonplace, particularly in athletics.
The first is revealed by Team. The French daily explains that it was “aware of a document at the origin of an internal IAAF investigation into an attempt at corruption to cover up doping in Russia. » Very detailed, the article reports a complaint filed by a Russian agent, Andreï Baranov, with the IAAF ethics commission. The investigation is ongoing. It is, obviously, classified confidential. But Team suggests that it could reveal a case of corruption within the International Athletics Federation itself.
Andreï Baranov, an agent based in the United States, ensures that one of his athletes, the marathon runner Liliya Shobukhova (our photo), author of the 2nd best time in history over the distance (2 h 18′ 20 in 2011 at Chicago), would have been extorted by his federation after a positive doping test. The Russian athletics authorities reportedly demanded €450.000 from her so as not to publicize the affair and let her participate in the London Games in 2012.
More serious: the daily reports meetings in Moscow hotels between Valentin Balakhnichev, the president of the Russian Athletics Federation (and treasurer of the IAAF), Habib Cissé, legal advisor of the IAAF and Papa Massata Diack, the son of Lamine Diack, the president of the IAAF. Meetings which would have taken place in 2011, at the time of the control of the marathon runner. Did they aim to corrupt one or more people within the IAAF, with the aim of distorting the results of anti-doping analyses? The investigation should say so. Presented by Team As the central figure in the affair, Valentin Balakhnichev responded to the daily, from his office in Moscow, that he had no comment to make.
The second case comes from Germany. It also concerns Russian sport. And it also gives off a doping smell. A 60-minute television documentary, produced by the ARD channel, will be broadcast this Wednesday, December 3 at 18:50 p.m. in Germany. Its title says a lot about the content: “The secret doping file: how Russia makes its winners. »
The German television team investigated for several months in Russia. She infiltrated training groups. She made Russian athletes and coaches speak, in front of the camera or anonymously. The documentary reveals organized doping in several sports, including athletics, often at the highest level of governing bodies. He says that pressure would be exerted on all those, athletes, coaches or managers, who would be tempted to break the law of silence. He even mentions death threats brandished in front of the candidates for unpacking. Stunning.
