After doping scandals, Russia touts reformed testing agency
MOSCOW — After almost two years under suspension, the Russian anti-doping agency wants to show it’s capable of cleaning up a tainted sports scene.
The agency, known as RUSADA, boasts of anti-corruption training and a newfound respect for whistleblowers — a group vilified by top Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin.
Senior staff talk of “the new RUSADA,” eager to distance their organization from one that was effectively shut down by the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2015 over allegations that key staff were covering up for doping athletes rather than exposing them.
Even as Russia came under pressure for what WADA called a vast doping system which corrupted the 2014 Winter Olympics, the number of tests carried out in the country plunged. All samples had to be collected by foreign-based organizations and sent abroad for processing, reducing the scrutiny on many Russian athletes.