Russia Will Reform Anti-Doping Fight in Time for Rio Believes EOC Chief Hickey

By Christian Radnedge

The president of the European Olympic Committees Pat Hickey believes Russia will be able to reform their anti-doping programme in time to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Speaking ahead of the EOC’s general assembly in Prague this week, viagra order | Hickey (pictured) admitted that the results of WADA’s independent commission report into “state-sponsored” doping violations in Russia were “deeply troubling”.

In a statement, impotent the Irishman urged Russia to leave no stone unturned in the fight against doping.

He said: “The findings of the WADA Independent Commission’s report are of course deeply troubling to all of us in the sports community. Clearly there is a need for reform in Russia’s anti-doping programme, mind but I have every confidence that Russia has the will and the resources to implement that reform in the required time.

“This is all the more important because the Russian Olympic Committee has been a strong and loyal proponent of the Olympic Movement in Europe and globally. So I urge that after this report Russia leaves no stone unturned in their mission to become WADA Code compliant.

“We have seen that other large countries who have had problems with doping in the past have since become world-leaders in the global fight against drugs in sport. Russia also has the capacity to lead from the front in the future.”

Hickey added that he would meet Alexander Zhukov, the ROC President, during the gathering in Prague this week. “I will take this opportunity to reiterate my concern at the findings of the report, but also to pledge the EOC’s total support to the ROC as they lead and coordinate the fight against doping in Russia,” he said.

“I hope Russia takes this opportunity to cooperate with the relevant international anti-doping authorities so that we can see clean Russian track and field athletes representing a clean Russian athletics federation at the start line in Rio.”

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