Pavel Kolobkov, Russia’s Minister of Sport, has said that Russian authorities have fulfilled the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) requirements regarding access to the data and samples held at the Moscow Laboratory. “I can confidently say that we have fulfilled all the WADA requirements in accordance with our agreements and in accordance with Russia’s Code of Criminal Procedure”, Kolobkov told State news agency TASS. 

On 17 January, WADA announced that it had successfully retrieved the data it required from the Moscow Laboratory. On 1 January, WADA confirmed that Russia had failed to meet its 31 December deadline to provide access to the data it required. The minutes of WADA’s 20 September Executive Committee meeting reveal that its Compliance Review Committee (CRC) had recommended that ‘the data had to be provided by a date certain, with no conditions, no excuses’.

On 7 January, WADA President Sir Craig Reedie clarified that the WADA was “continuing to act on the basis of the 31 December deadline having been missed, with all the consequences that failure could bring”. On 17 January, WADA’s statement explained that ‘the CRC drafted its report and recommendation during its meeting and finalized it only after the WADA expert team had left Russia’.

The CRC met on 15/16 January to consider whether the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) should be re-suspended due to missing WADA’s 31 December deadline. WADA’s 17 January statement suggests that it was required to consider that access to the Laboratory data had eventually been provided by Russia in making its recommendation.

This is despite the CRC’s previous recommendation that ‘no conditions’ and ‘no excuses’ would be allowed, as well as promises from Reedie that WADA was proceeding on the basis of the 31 December deadline having been missed. WADA has confirmed that its Executive Committee will make a decision based on the CRC’s recommendation on 22 January.

(2/2) ExCo members requested that time to review appropriately the CRC recommendation (which will be provided to them at the latest on 17 Jan) and to consult with their stakeholders.
WADA will publicly communicate the ExCo decision on 22 Jan following the conference call.

— WADA (@wada_ama) January 12, 2019