The Russian triathlon federation (ФТР) is to sign an agreement with the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), after three members of its national team were implicated in potential blood doping. “A key aspect that should be implemented in the near future is the signing of an agreement with RUSADA”, said Ksenia Shoigu (Ксения Шойгу), President of the ФТР, in an interview with Sport Express. “Before starts or during training events, all athletes will have to undergo a sample collection procedure. The ФТР has already sent a request to RUSADA about the possibility of conducting regular testing of athletes for possible anti-doping rule violations, and a response has been received.”

The lack of an agreement with RUSADA doesn’t mean that Russian triathletes are currently untested. Athletes are tested by World Triathlon and it is understood that members of the national team are part of the Russian Olympic Committee’s (ROC) testing programme. However, a search for ‘triathlon’ (триатлон) on RUSADA’s internet site reports no results. It also appears that the Anti-Doping Strategy of the ФТР and its 2021 Monitoring Programme have been removed from its internet site.