MOSCOW, April 24. /TASS/. The increase in the number of registered anti-doping violations by Russian athletes in 2023 against the previous year owes to the fact that doping tests are now being held at regional competitions, which do not usually attract the cream of the crop, the head of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) told TASS on Wednesday.

"The number of the registered [anti-doping] violations increased in 2023 and RUSADA is engaged in laborious efforts to analyze and establish the cause for this matter," RUSADA Director General Veronika Loginova said in an interview with TASS.

Last year, RUSADA reported identifying 150 potential violations by Russian athletes involving performance-enhancing drugs. The figure for the year 2022 was 135.

"Firstly, starting in 2023 RUSADA decided to pay closer attention to participants at sports competitions which were previously not subjected to regular doping inspections," Loginova continued.

"Secondly, we launched anti-doping inspections of athletes, who either come from a lower echelon or participate only in the country’s regional competitions. In my opinion, this is the main cause behind the increase in reported violations," she noted.

"However, I want to make it clear here that RUSADA is not simply reversing its course on testing athletes, who were not tested previously," Loginova said. "At the same time we carry out educational programs in these sports competitions and work with [sports] federations in which athletes were not subjected previously to thorough doping inspections."