ATHLETICS: The fallout from a damning report by an independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) into systematic doping in athletics has begun, with one of the recommendations being to ban all Russian track and field athletes from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
WADA also recommended Russia's disgraced walking head coach Viktor Chegin, who guided Sergey Kirdyapkin in London, be given a lifetime ban from the sport.
Australian triple Olympic medallist Jared Tallent, who was ‘robbed’ by Kirdyapkin for the gold medal in the 50km walk at the 2012 Olympics, has been fighting to retrospectively be awarded the gold medal.
He feels vindicated by the long-awaited report but bitterly disappointed as the report alleges that the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) allowed Kirdyapkin to compete in London while ‘knowing that he was a dope cheat.’
“It’s been 1185 days since that race in London and that’s the time that I haven’t had the opportunities that come with being an Olympic champion.
"It's been really hard, to go training every day knowing that I'm being robbed of an Olympic gold medal.”
The decision on whether Kirdyapkin should be the Olympic champion will be made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on the 2nd of December. In the wake of this report and subject to the response from the Russian Athletics Federation the IAAF may make a decision on the retrospective awarding of the gold medal before then.
“It’s been a long process, it shouldn’t have taken this long but I’m much happier now and really confident I’m going to get that gold medal,” Tallent said.
Kirdyapkin is due to be back competing in February in time to qualify for the Rio 2016 Games. Tallent believes the only safe-guard for clean athletes is to ban all Russian competitors from athletics in Rio.
“I don’t want to be going to another Olympic Games knowing I am racing drug cheats so I hope the IAAF follow the recommendations in the report.”
2016 Australian Olympic Team Chef de Mission Kitty Chiller said there has been a precedent of medals being awarded retrospectively.
“I saw Jared Tallent at a press conference in London when he invited his wife Clare on to the stage and she broke down. They knew something was wrong and that Jared had been denied the prize and the accolade that he most rightly deserved.
“That is now in the hands of the IAAF and I would love nothing more than to see Jared receive the medal that he deserves.”
Chiller told media in Sydney that the report handed down is extremely ‘disturbing’ but encouraging for clean athletes around the world.
“For sport, athletics and the Olympics this report is incredibly dark and incredibly disturbing. However having said that it is also a great message for clean athletes around the world.
“Australia and the Australian Olympic Committee will continue to have a zero-tolerance to any sort of doping in sport by athletes and most importantly by the athlete entourage, as per the new WADA code.
“The administrators and organisations around the world must be held accountable for the actions that they implement in respect to doping in sport. Athletes have always been tested and sanctioned and suffer the ramifications. Organisations and administrators now must face the same thing.
“So as a message to world sport, not only athletics and not only Russia today is a fantastic message that you will be caught at some time – you cannot hide. It’s a good message for us and all the clean athletes around the world.”
Chiller believes that if the Russian Athletics Federation is not WADA compliant by Rio then the ramification should be that they are not allowed to compete at the Games.. She believes new IAAF President Sebastian Coe is the man to tackle the huge task of cleaning up athletics.
Russian walkers were not allowed to compete at the World Championships held in Beijing this year.
Athletics Australia (AA) has been lobbying the IAAF with Tallent to correct the result from London 2012. CEO Phil Jones called for ‘swift response’ to the allegations of doping from the WADA report.
“We reiterate our strong stance against doping in sport and implore the IAAF to take whatever action is necessary to deliver a level playing field for all athletes. Circumstances like those alleged in this report must not be allowed to continue,” Jones said.
“Athletics Australia also applauds the Independent Commissions Report for recommending further investigation by WADA into the doping case of, amongst others, Sergey Kirdyapkin.
“It has always seemed extraordinary to us that as a result of doping infractions Mr. Kirdyapkin was banned from competition before and after the 2012 Olympic Games, but eligible to race in London. It is our opinion that Jared Tallent is the rightful gold medallist at in the men’s 50km walk and we expect action to ensure that this matter is resolved by the Court of Arbitration for Sport as soon as possible.
Coe said he would give Russia until Friday to respond to the scathing report. The IAAF Council are due to meet Friday to discuss the crisis facing the Olympic's flagship sport.
Andrew Reid with agencies
