RUSADA informs Sports Ministry of banned coach Chegin’s presence at training camp in Sochi
The All-Russia Athletics Federation stated on Thursday that it would provide its maximum assistance to RUSADA with an investigation into possible violations of suspension terms on behalf of the Russian Race Walk team's ex-Head Coach Viktor Chegin
MOSCOW, January 31. /TASS/. The Russian Sports Ministry has received a notification from the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) that a suspended coach Viktor Chegin was attending a training camp of the national track and field athletics team in Sochi between January 13 and 31, the ministry’s press service reported on Friday.
RUSADA Deputy Director General Margarita Pakhnotskaya announced earlier in the week that the agency had information about Chegin working with track and field athletes during the training sessions in Sochi despite his suspension.
The All-Russia Athletics Federation (RusAF) stated on Thursday that it would provide its maximum assistance to RUSADA with an investigation into possible violations of suspension terms on behalf of the Russian Race Walk team's ex-Head Coach Chegin.
Robert Popov, an anti-doping coordinator with RusAF, stated earlier that the national track and field athletics federation would launch a probe based on the information from RUSADA.
Over 20 Russian track and field athletes, coached by Chegin, were subjected to various suspensions between 2005 and 2015 for violations of anti-doping rules, while Chegin was slapped with a lifetime ban.
World Athletics, which was previously known as the International Association of Athletics Federations or IAAF, suspended RusAF’s (the All-Russia Athletics Federation) membership in late 2015 following a chain of doping abuse scandals in Russia’s track and field sports. Only one Russian track and field athlete was allowed to participate in 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil and she was Russia’s long jumper Daria Klishina.
The World Athletics Council announced on November 22, 2019 its decision to suspend RusAF’s reinstatement process based on charges brought by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).
The suspension of Russia’s governing athletics body has been ruled to remain in force 12 times since its introduction in 2015 with the most recent decision made on September 23, before the start of the 2019 World Championships in Qatar’s Doha on September 27-October 6.