MOSCOW, August 21. /TASS/. The Russian Triathlon Federation (RTF) will no longer be subjected to sanctions for allegedly violating anti-doping rules, RTF President Ksenia Shoigu told TASS on Monday.
The Executive Board of the global body for triathlon, World Triathlon, ruled in April to clear athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate under a neutral status in international competition
"All previously imposed sanctions regarding us have been lifted," she said in an interview with TASS. "We have thoroughly gone over all previously voiced concerns and eliminated any possible recurrences."
"Moreover, we realized that the banned substances’ abuse may be linked with a lack of awareness and knowledge in this sphere," she continued.
"For instance, we tried to warn athletes against drinking from the same bottle that an amateur drank from, as well as to inspect absolutely everything that goes into the athletes food and medicine," Shoigu added.
"We constantly remind them about their 'strict accountability' meaning that the athlete is ultimately responsible for what goes into their body," she said.
"It was also necessary to educate all our athletes how to correctly fill out ADAMS [Anti-Doping Administration & Management System] documents and introduce an educational program about the anti-doping policy," Shoigu noted.
"Despite all of the bans in force, we regularly take doping samples and their results prove to be a success in our favor," RTF chief added.
World Triathlon imposed a number of sanctions against the Russian Triathlon Federation (RTF) in late 2021 due to numerous reported doping violations.
The Executive Board of the international organization decreed today that among other things, the RTF must sign an agreement with the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) about mandatory testing for all national triathletes and must also work out jointly with World Triathlon a plan on educational courses for all national athletes and their coaching staff in regard to anti-doping regulations.