WADA Established Commission on Russia on Advice of Anti-Doping Institutions

The World Anti-Doping Agency commission investigating the issue of doping in Russia was founded on the advice of a number of anti-doping organizations, the agency's head said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) commission, responsible for investigating Russian compliance with the organization's global sport health norms, was established on the advice of several national anti-doping organizations, WADA President Craig Reedie said.

"I can categorically state I have not been soft on Russia. It was me as president of Wada that agreed with several national anti-doping organizations to create an independent commission to look into the subject of doping in Russia, the results of which we saw… in Geneva on Monday," Reedie said, quoted by the Independent newspaper on Wednesday.

In Geneva on Monday, WADA's Independent Commission presented a report accusing Russia of numerous breaches of global anti-doping regulations and recommended the country be banned from international athletics for an undetermined period.

The report further claimed that Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko was aware of numerous cases of doping test manipulations, and that the Russian Federal Security Service was complicit in the use of doping by Russian athletes.

On Tuesday, WADA temporarily removed its accreditation of Moscow's anti-doping laboratory following a recommendation from the commission.