News 29 February 2016

Sports Integrity Briefs – 29 Feb. 2016

FIFA bank subpoena: Citigroup Inc. has reportedly become the first major US bank to receive a subpoena in connection with the US Department of Justice investigation into alleged corruption at FIFA. According to the Wall Street Journal, in an annual filing with securities regulators on Friday, the bank said that it had received the summons from the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

 

CAS subs in for ARAF: The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced on Friday that it would substitute for the ARAF in adjudicating on eight anti-doping rule violations. The Russian athletes include five race-walkers, two middle distance runners and one heptathlete. In a separate case, the CAS announced that it was close to concluding adjudication on the six appeals filed by the IAAF in 2015 against the ARAF and a number of Russian athletes.

 

Race-walk comeback: A number of elite Russian race-walkers have returned to competition after serving doping bans, the Associated Press has reported. The athletes, which include former Olympic champions, reportedly competed over the weekend at the Russian winter championships in Sochi, with a view to competing at the Rio Olympics later this year. The Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) remains suspended by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and at this stage its athletes are unable to compete at the Olympics.

 

UEFA General Secretary decision: UEFA is set to ‘discuss the position of UEFA General Secretary at its next meeting on 4 March’, according to a statement on the website of the Union of European Football Associations. This comes following the election of the incumbent UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino as FIFA President on Friday. As per Article 31 of the UEFA Statutes, UEFA’s Executive Committee shall appoint the General Secretary. According to reports, UEFA Deputy General Secretary Theodore Theodoridis is likely to become Infantino’s successor. Theodoridis is the son of Savvas Theodoridis, Vice President of Greek football club Olympiakos, who were ‘provisionally admitted’ to this season’s UEFA Champions League, despite match-fixing allegations.

 

UCI mechanical doping checks: The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has reportedly told the news site Cyclingnews that it carried out ‘139 checks for motors and mechanical doping’ at the recent Omloop Het Nieuwsblad cycling race, a professional competition that is part of the UCI Europe Tour. According to Cyclingnews, these were the first systematic pre-race tests, since the UCI revealed that it was investigating its first suspected case of ‘technological fraud’ earlier this month.

 

IAAF Athletes’ Commission elections: Former Olympic high-jumper Rozle Prezelj has been elected as Chairman of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Athletes’ Commission. British marathon world record-holder Paula Radcliffe was elected Vice-Chairwoman. The Athletes’ Commission represents athletes who compete at IAAF World Championships and Olympic Games.

 

Cyclist’s reduced suspension: The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has announced that American cyclist Robert Lea has been given a six-month reduced suspension from competitive cycling following a CAS decision. Lea filed an appeal against the American Arbitration Association (AAA), which had found that Lea had committed an anti-doping rule violation and had issued a 16-month period of ineligibility. Lea will therefore be able to compete against on 10 March 2016 and is no eligible for the Rio Olympics.

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