Anti-Doping Officials Show Up Unannounced At Russian Competition . . . More Than 30 Russian Athletes Immediately Withdraw

The famous proverb stated that “the wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” That appears born out in a recent athlete competition in Siberia. Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) showed up unannounced at the regional competition in the Siberian city of Irkutsk and dozens of athletes immediately withdrew to avoid testing.

The doping program in Russia has been well documented and has cost the country the participation in the Olympic games as well as the loss of prior medals.  Russia is banned from participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics over allegations of a state-run doping scheme at the 2014 Games in Sochi.

Some 36 Russian athletes fled the competition at the arrival of the anti-doping competition, as reported by Championat.com.

Hopefully the list of these athletes will result in mandatory testing within a short time. If they are not, it is clear that Russia is still a doping haven.