RUSADA's Director General Defends Agency's Work and Expresses Will to Compete for WADA Top PositionThe current director general of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) has defended the work of the national regulatory body in an interview this week and stated that she is willing to compete with Witold Bańka for the top position at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

 

Veronika Loginova told the Russian News Agency TASS, "Obviously, currently the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency has no competitors at the moment, and no one wants to compete with Bańka for this position. I believe I am ready to compete with him, but so far I don't have such a legal opportunity because the Russian Anti-Doping Agency is not yet in a state that complies with the World Anti-Doping Code."

The World Anti-Doping Agency has not yet reinstated the compliance status of RUSADA. (Getty Images) In 2015, due to the widespread doping problems in the Russian track and field community, RUSADA was initially found non-compliant by the global governing body. The country regained its compliance status in 2018 but was again declared non-compliant a year later and has not yet been reinstated. The World Anti-Doping Agency reaffirmed this status after an inspection in 2023.

Loginova said that the case against her agency will be submitted to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and the hearing is scheduled for September this year. At the same time, the director general is working hard to ensure that everything is in order and told TASS that they "are ready to be inspected."

She explained, "The Sports Law of the Russian Federation is being revised. Currently, the Russian Ministry of Sports and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency maintain communication. We have formulated a draft federal law, which the World Anti-Doping Agency believes will eliminate all problems. The Russian Anti-Doping Agency has already done everything it can within its scope of authority."