BERLIN – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will adhere
to the upcoming decisions of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on
sanctions against Russia.
"They are mandatory," IOC president Thomas Bach told a press
conference in Lausanne, Switzerland on Thursday.
"The IOC in the Olympic charter has accepted the world anti-doping
code and if there is a decision being issued according to the world
anti-doping code it is mandatory for the IOC."
WADA is due to decide on Monday whether Russia should banned for
another four years from international competition.
Bach said he had "no reason to doubt" the findings of manipulation of
Moscow laboratory data.
Bach spoke of "the alleged 145 cases" and hoped WADA on Monday "make
it clear to what events their decision finally refers and to what
not, and for what reason and for what reason not."
Although a ban could be imposed, Russian athletes could be allowed to
compete as individuals rather than for Russia at next year's Tokyo
Summer Games and at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, as they did at
last year's Pyeongchang Winter Games.
In Moscow, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev admitted the
country had a problem with performance-enhancing drug use among
athletes, condemning it as "unacceptable."
"Is there a doping problem among us? Yes. And it's obvious this is
unacceptable, considering the way that sport in the modern world is
supposed to develop," Medvedev said in comments carried by state news
agency TASS.
Over the past half-decade, Russia has struggled with allegations of
widespread use of performance-enhancing drugs among top athletes.
Medvedev suggested that WADA was being too harsh in its approach
towards Russia. He slammed the latest developments as part of a
"perpetual anti-Russian soap opera" and said innocent athletes were
being unfairly punished.