In case you missed it yesterday was “Play True Day”, an initiative organised by World Triathlon to emphasise the need for clean sport in triathlon.
Clean sport is central to the success of triathlon in the long term. Spectators and fans need to be able to trust what they are watching while athletes deserve to compete on as level a playing field as possible.
However Play True Day came only one day after Russian and Belarusian athletes were allowed back into the sport. It is with this decision that questions arise regarding doping in triathlon.
In December 2021, Russia was banned from the sport for persistent doping cases for a period of one year. Athletes were still able to participate but Russian officials and the Russian Triathlon Federation were sanctioned.
The ban came after Igor Polyanskiy, Alexander Bryukhankov and Vladimir Turbayevskiy were banned all for the presence or use of EPO.
In March 2022, World Triathlon subsequently banned Russia and Belarus following the invasion of Ukraine. The ban on athletes has now been lifted although the ban on Russian officials and the federation remains in place. Therefore Russian athletes will be able to potentially return under a neutral flag.
There are different perspectives on the ban. Some are unhappy that Russia has been allowed to return while the war is ongoing. Others felt the ban harshly penalised the athletes who could not be held responsible for the actions of their government.
The point of this article is not to rehash that debate. Instead, the point is highlight how the interplay of the doping ban and invasion ban have created a situation in which questions need to be asked about the return of Russian athletes.
Russian athletes can return to the sport but Russian officials cannot. However Russian officials were responsible for meeting the criteria to have the doping sanctions lifted. This means World Triathlon have banned the people responsible for clean triathlon in Russia and thereby removed the incentive for Russian officials to ensure their athletes do not dope.
The first question is a simple one. What is the status of the doping-related ban for Russia?
It was due to elapse after one year but the ban over the invasion of Ukraine distorted that timeline. In essence, the doping ban was superseded and rendered moot. There is a case to be made that so long as the ban over the invasion is in place, Russia has not fully served its doping ban.
At this point it is not entirely clear whether the Russian federation is banned for doping or for the invasion or for a bit of both.
The second question to ask is has Russia met its obligations under the terms of the doping ban?
Among the terms of the doping sanctions included the following:
- The Russian Triathlon Federation will reach an agreement with RUSADA to test all Russian athletes, especially all those athletes who will be competing internationally.
- The Russian Triathlon Federation will, together with World Triathlon, create an education plan for Russian athletes and coaches in regard to doping issues.
These two points probably should not be considered sanctions. In reality testing and educating active athletes should be among the basic responsibilities of any federation. Nonetheless they were included as part of World Triathlon’s conditions.
Another aspect of the sanctions was the prohibition of Russia from organising World or European level events.
An interesting loophole would be if Russia can organise Asian events. Russia has pivoted to Asia in the sporting sphere this year and is viewing the Asian Olympic Committee as a means to qualify athletes for next year’s Olympic Games. If Russia cannot organise European Cups, can they organise an Asia Cup or two?
The next question to ask is what assurances or commitments have World Triathlon received from the Russian Triathlon Federation that there will be no further doping scandals?
The real problem in this regard is the disconnect between the two bans and who is and is not allowed to participate in elite triathlon.
As a consequence, World Triathlon must trust the actions of the Russian Triathlon Federation and Russian Anti Doping Agency at a time when both agencies are essentially banned from the sport. At this point in time, it is almost as if the doping ban never really took place. Instead it was lost amidst the events that came after.
To illustrate matters further, Ksenia Shoigu is the President of the Russian Triathlon Federation. She is the daughter of the Russian Minister of Defence, Sergey Shoigu who has been sanctioned by the European Union.
With the war in Ukraine raging, it is unlikely Russian officials will be welcome back to the sport anytime soon. However said officials were the ones responsible for addressing Russia’s doping problem.
It is unfair to assume there will be any further doping by Russian athletes. Yet the current situation has created a paradox in which the necessary anti-doping practices may not be fully policed.
Therefore, with the formal infrastructure of Russian triathlon currently out in the cold, protections need to be put in place to prevent further Russian doping cases.
