The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) has indicated that it cannot compete with the likes of the USA and Germany in terms of pharmacological preparation for elite sport. “Doping is a professional pharmacological activity”, said Yuri Ganus, RUSADA’s Director General, at a media conference announcing the organisation’s 2018 Annual Report, reports Championat. “We cannot compete with the likes of the USA and Germany in the market of pharmacological preparation”. 

RUSADA’s 2018 Annual Report outlines that anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs) increased from 59 during 2017 to 146 in 2018, reports SportsBox. Ganus said that RUSADA would “need time to regain confidence from the viewpoint of consistent work, which will allow others to judge that we are fighting for clean sport. We had to start working at a time when all the doors were closed. Thanks to the standpoint of journalists, we have now managed to improve our position.” Ganus also revealed that RUSADA has appealed a decision not to sanction an athletics coach for an attempt to bribe an anti-doping official to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), reports Reuters.