Russian athletics scandal: athletes threatened with violence if they resisted country’s doping program

RUSSIAN athletes feared for their lives and were warned that they could “accidentally’’ end up in a car crash if they resisted against the country’s doping program.

FILE - In this Aug. 11, 2012 file photo Russia's Mariya Savinova celebrates as she crosses the finish line ahead of South Africa's Caster Semenya during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics, London. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus, file)

RUSSIAN athletes feared for their lives and were warned that they could “accidentally’’ end up in a car crash if they resisted against the country’s state-sponsored doping program.

Olympic and world championship athletes competing for Russia were also forced to pay corrupt Russian Athletics Federation officials up to $700,000 in order to “cover up’’ drug test results and violations and also destroy samples.

The extraordinary and shocking findings emerged from an independent report conducted by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which could lead to the lifetime bans of coaches and officials and ultimately the Russian track and field team being banned from competing at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

The bombshell revelations which have rocked the sporting world claimed its first victim when president of the International Athletics Foundation, Lamine Diack, resigned from his position.

Part of the explosive 335-page report reveals how Russian marathon runner Liliya Shobukhova, who won a silver medal in the 3000m during the 2006 World Indoor and European Championships, was told “you could have problems’’ unless she “made monetary payments to corrupt officials to intervene on her behalf.’’

Those ‘problems’ included suspension at the hands of the International Association of Athletics Foundation (IAAF), forfeiture of prizemoney or action that could impact her career.

Shobukhova and her husband paid $685,000 (€450,000) to All-Russia Athletic Foundation officials.

Proven drug cheat, Russian discus thrower Yevgeniya Pecherina stated in the report that she believes that around 99 per cent of the Russian National Team are doping, and Mariya Savinova, the reigning Russian Olympic 800m gold medallist at the 2012 London Olympics, admitted, in secret video recordings, to using the banned steroid oxandrolone, referred to as “ox.”

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The report also details the alarming fear some athletes had for their personal safety if they did not prescribe to the internal workings of the national team.

One athlete explained how “you shouldn’t complain about any ongoing practices within the national team.’’

As the athlete said, “leave it, otherwise you might accidentally get in a car accident.”

In addition to athletes, Russian coach and respected whistleblower Oleg Popov came forward to assist the findings by underlining that national team athletes have no choice but to dope otherwise the athlete is “out,” meaning removed from the team.

The report has sent shock waves across the globe, with IAAF president Seb Coe giving Russia until Saturday to respond to the findings.

Mariya Savinova (L) celebrating with Ekaterina Poistogova (R) and Russian coach Vladimir Kazarin.

The IAAF will then convene to discuss provisionally suspending Russia from the 2016 Rio Olympics after being encouraged to do so by the independent commission charged with leading the WADA report.

The International Olympic Committee has declared they intend to strip the drug cheats from Russia of their medals from London 2012 and previous Olympics.

Coe, a four-time Olympic medallist for middle-distance running, is undeniably the most important man in world sport today.

A position, he told media in London, he wasn’t shying away from.

“I won’t fail,’’ Coe said.

“But I also accept that this is a huge journey. We have to start somewhere and I know what I have to do.

“My nervousness now is we’ve got a rump of coaches out there that genuinely do not think it’s possible to get an athlete on a podium cleanly.

“And I’ve got to accept that there is now, in parts of my sport, a prevailing culture and it has been there for too long.’’

Originally published as Russian athletics scandal: athletes threatened with violence if they resisted country’s doping program