RUSADA Head Ganus: ‘No Chance of Winning’ Appeal on Russian Olympic Ban

Russia’s anti-doping chief Yuri Ganus says there is “no chance” that Russia wins an appeal against its four-year international sporting ban. Yahoo News, among others, are reporting the comments.

“There is no chance of winning this case in court,” Ganus said in the Yahoo story.

Ganus is the head of RUSADA, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency. He’s also been very critical of his own country’s actions in the ongoing doping scandal. Ganus was the official who publicly called on Vladimir Putin to get Moscow anti-doping lab data turned over to WADA, at the time warning that a failure to comply with WADA’s request could lead to Russian athletes “suspended from participation in all international competitions.”

Those words now seem vaguely prophetic, after WADA this morning handed down a 4-year ban on Russia in international sporting events, based largely on Russia’s missing of the deadline to turn over the data, followed by evidence that the country manipulated the data before turning it over. Ganus supported the allegations that Russian officials had tampered with the data, a statement so critical of his country that The New York Times reported that many were surprised at his boldness, noting that two Russian anti-doping officials – including Ganus’s predecessor – had died under suspicious circumstances in recent years.

Russia could appeal the WADA ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. But Ganus’s comments cast some doubt that an appeal will even be filed, though it’s still a possibility.

As of now, Russia as a nation is banned from international competition for four years. That stretch will include the 2020 Summer Olympics and 2022 Winter Olympics, along with the 2021 and 2023 FINA World Aquatics Championships. Russian athletes still have an avenue to compete, but under the Olympic banner. But those athletes would have to demonstrate that they weren’t implicated in the doping scandal that has embroiled Russia for the past four years. Athletes specifically named in the McLaren Report would appear to have an especially tough path to proving their innocence – that includes top Russian swimmers Vladimir Morozov, Daria Ustinova and Nikita Lobintsev.

Despite his open criticism of Russia as a whole, Ganus called the current situation “a tragedy,” noting that clean athletes would see their rights limited.

Other officials have taken a harder line against the ban. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called the situation “anti-Russian hysteria” and claimed that those responsible for the doping program had already been punished, per The Moscow Times.

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Coach Mike 1952
4 years ago

There is likely more to the story. Further, ISL lets Morozov swim as well. Anyone have more information on either or both of these issues / concerns? TY

Texas Tap Water
Reply to  Coach Mike 1952
4 years ago

Fact: his urine sample was swapped in University games in 2013 Kazan Universiade

Sandorelli
4 years ago

Has Vlad failed any tests ? Did he fail drug tests at Euros ? Don’t understand why he’d be stripped of anything.

N P
Reply to  Sandorelli
4 years ago

I believe Spencer is referencing that he was named as benefiting from swapped samples in the McLaren report. Therefore although he may not have failed a test at Euros, he was the beneficiary of a systemic doping/coverup program. In many peoples’ eyes (including my own) this would make him a cheat.

Texas Tap Water
Reply to  Sandorelli
4 years ago

His urine sample was swapped during 2013 Kazan Universiade where he swam PBs in 100 and 50 free

Eadara
Reply to  Texas Tap Water
4 years ago

His 50 free PB is from this year. Check your fact.

Troyy
Reply to  Eadara
4 years ago

Swam. Past tense. Someone can swim PBs more than once. That 100 free is also still his PB.

Texas Tap Water
Reply to  Eadara
4 years ago

He was setting PBs back then

Rusfed
4 years ago

Morozov should go to a civil court against McLaren and/or Rodchenkov with a reputation damage claim

Troy
4 years ago

Is there a full list of names from the McLaren report anywhere?

Vasili Rajevski
4 years ago

Wtf

Scribble
4 years ago

I am sure the corrupt Olympic officials will bow to Russian pressure AGAIN. I wouldn’t bet against seeing 2x Russian drug cheat Efimova stealing an Olympic medal from a clean athlete AGAIN. However, this is still an excellent development for clean sports. It has been proven that Russia ran a systemic government program to cheat. Watch ICARUS!

Virtus
4 years ago

Kinda wondering if this is how morozov pulled off winning all of those world cups in a row. A lot of the treatments sped up recovery.

Stan
Reply to  Virtus
4 years ago

Kinda wondering if this is how phelps pulled off winning all of those olympic medals in a row. A lot of the treatments sped up recovery.

FFOVOVOM
Reply to  Stan
4 years ago

**Movovoff

sven
Reply to  Stan
4 years ago

Yeah, recovery isn’t much of an indicator when Phelps, Hosszu, and Dressel all have/had a history of handling insane event loads. Vlad was a stud in the NCAA with a lot of racing, so it shouldn’t be surprising that he’s also good on the World Cup.

Rafael
4 years ago

so.. imagine a swimmer that is probably Clean.. Chupkov..

Broke his WR again next year.. So.. Anton Chupkov.. WR No country ??

Reid
Reply to  Rafael
4 years ago

I wouldn’t go so far as to say probably clean. Doping is clearly very pervasive in Russia and if if the McLaren report and whistleblowers like Grigory Rodchenkov are to be believed clean athletes are more the exception than the norm. Even partially foreign based athletes are highly suspect as we’ve seen from the numerous USC athletes implicated.

About Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson swam for nearly twenty years. Then, Jared Anderson stopped swimming and started writing about swimming. He's not sick of swimming yet. Swimming might be sick of him, though. Jared was a YMCA and high school swimmer in northern Minnesota, and spent his college years swimming breaststroke and occasionally pretending …

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