West Indies Cricket Fans

n response to WADA's Independent Commission report issued today, the IAAF President, Sebastian Coe, has taken the urgent step of seeking approval from his fellow IAAF Council Members to consider sanctions against the Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF). These sanctions could include provisional and full suspension and the removal of future IAAF events.

Commenting on the report, the IAAF President said: "The information in WADA's Independent Commissions Report is alarming. We need time to properly digest and understand the detailed findings included in the report. However, I have urged the Council to start the process of considering sanctions against ARAF. This step has not been taken lightly. Our athletes, partners and fans have my total assurance that where there are failures in our governance or our anti-doping programmes we will fix them. We will do whatever it takes to protect the clean athletes and rebuild trust in our sport. The IAAF will continue to offer the police authorities our full co-operation into their ongoing investigation.

IAAF - Member Federation suspension and other sanction process
- IAAF Council to decide whether to proceed with a potential sanctions' process against a Member Federation.

- The Member Federation is asked to respond to the allegations and proposed sanctions.

- IAAF Council to consider the Member Federation response as soon as possible and make a decision on next steps

The Council of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has provisionally suspended the All-Russia Athletic Federation (ARAF) as an IAAF Member with immediate effect.

The decision was taken at today’s 201st IAAF Council Meeting which was held by teleconference and chaired from London by IAAF President Sebastian Coe.

A total of 24 Members of Council took part in the meeting: 22 voted in favour of the sanction against ARAF, who have been officially informed of the Council’s decision, 1 voted against. The Council Member from Russia was not eligible to participate in the vote.

Commenting on the decision, IAAF President Sebastian Coe said: “Today we have been dealing with the failure of ARAF and made the decision to provisionally suspend them, the toughest sanction we can apply at this time. But we discussed and agreed that the whole system has failed the athletes, not just in Russia, but around the world.

"This has been a shameful wake up call and we are clear that cheating at any level will not be tolerated. To this end, the IAAF, WADA, the member federations and athletes need to look closely at ourselves, our cultures and our processes to identify where failures exist and be tough in our determination to fix them and rebuild trust in our sport. There can be no more important focus for our sport”

Frankie Fredericks read a statement on behalf of the IAAF Athletes Commission: "The IAAF Athletes’ Commission is extremely disappointed and concerned regarding the recent developments and allegations directed at our sport."

"We are angry at the damage being caused to the reputation and credibility of athletics and are united alongside our President to not shy away from the major challenges that face our sport. The athletes will work together to continue the process of cleaning up athletics to ensure those athletes training and competing cleanly are not tainted by the minority.

"We send a clear message to clean athletes in a dirty system to report any doping or cheating that they see or hear about. We are 100% in support of President Coe and believe that he is the leader that our sport needs to instigate the necessary actions swiftly and strongly."

Using its powers under the IAAF Constitution Article 6.11(b) and Article 14.7 the members of the IAAF Council provisionally suspended ARAF on charges of breach of the Objects of the IAAF.

The IAAF’s Objects include amongst others developing and maintaining programmes aimed at eradicating doping from the sport and safeguarding the authenticity and integrity of Athletics.

CONSEQUENCES OF PROVISIONAL SUSPENSION

- athletes, and athlete support personnel from Russia may not compete in International Competitions including World Athletic Series competitions and the Olympic Games

- Russia will not be entitled to host the 2016 World Race Walking Cup (Cheboksary) and 2016 World Junior Championships (Kazan)*

- that ARAF delegates the conduct of all outstanding doping cases to CAS

The provisional suspension does not:

- prevent athletes in Russia from participating in domestic competitions

- remove or waive the obligations on international level athletes in Russia to comply with the IAAF Anti-Doping Rules, including continuing to be subject to out of competition testing

* IAAF will announce the reallocation or cancellation of these two IAAF World Athletics Series events as soon as possible.

NEXT STEPS

- Unless ARAF voluntarily accepts a full suspension, the IAAF is entitled to proceed to a full hearing on whether the provisional suspension should be made a full suspension.

- To regain membership to the IAAF the new federation would have to fulfil a list of criteria. An inspection team led by Independent Chair Rune Andersen, an independent international anti-doping expert (Norwegian) and three members of the IAAF Council who will be appointed in the next few days.


Other business

IAAF GOVERNANCE

President Sebastian Coe also took the council through his reform programme.

He has asked Paul Deighton, former CEO of LOCOG and UK Government Minister, to oversee the programme which will be carried out by Deloitte.

Forensic accountants from Deloitte and the leading legal firm Freshfields began work at the IAAF HQ yesterday. He also told the Council that he will create an integrity unit for athletics consisting of an independent integrity board and review panels.

The unit will cover all areas of integrity for international level athletes and athlete support personnel (anti-doping, illegal betting, anti-corruption, transfers of allegiance and age manipulation.

IAAF

There are specific requirements for when an athlete needs to apply for a TUE depending on their competition level. The search options below determine when an athlete needs to apply to UK Anti-Doping for a TUE.

International athletes (as defined by their International Federation) should submit TUE applications to their International Federation.

A Retroactive TUE is required for athletes at the following levels of competition:

1. Athletes outside of the UK Testing Pool
2. Domestic events not listed in National Level Section
3. Events where the TUE requirements of international bodies apply

RETROACTIVE PROCEDURE FOR A TUE
Athletes have five (5) working days to make a Retroactive TUE application to UK Anti-Doping following the receipt of an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF)

Sir David Brailsford has defended Sir Bradley Wiggins' use of a banned steroid before major races, saying Team Sky "do not cross the line" when it comes to performance-enhancing drugs.

Britain's most decorated Olympian took anti-inflammatory drug triamcinolone for allergies and respiratory issues.

The cyclist said he sought therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) to "put himself back on a level playing field".

"It was not being used to enhance performance," Brailsford said.

Speaking to BBC sports editor Dan Roan, he added: "I have known Bradley a long time and he is an asthma sufferer and he has struggled with allergies for as long as I have known him.

"I know that at the time there was a recommendation to see a specialist, he went to see a specialist and was then given permission by the authorities.

"I trust and believe in the integrity of that process."

Brailsford also said:

He was aware at the time of what Wiggins was taking;
He has complete trust in Team Sky's doctors;
Given the information he had at that time, he would make the same decision now;
He does not believe that Wiggins' or Team Sky's reputations have been tainted.
Wiggins' use of the substance has come under scrutiny following revelations made by Russian computer hackers known as Fancy Bears last week.

The details were revealed after the group accessed the private medical data of some of the world's leading athletes from the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).

Wiggins' TUEs were approved by British authorities and cycling's world governing body the UCI.

There is no suggestion that either the 36-year-old or Team Sky, his former team, have broken any rules.

What are therapeutic use exemptions?
A TUE allows an athlete, for medical reasons, to take a banned substance or have treatment that is otherwise prohibited.
The Wada rules for obtaining TUEs include: the banned drug can only be used to treat an acute or chronic medical condition, it must be highly unlikely to produce any additional enhancement of performance and that there's no reasonable therapeutic alternative.

Triamcinolone
Generic Name: triamcinolone (oral) (trye am SIN oh lone)
Brand Names: Aristocort

Aristocrat
ˈarɪstəkrat,əˈrɪst-
noun
a member of the aristocracy.
"a decadent old blue-blooded aristocrat"
synonyms: nobleman, noblewoman, lord, lady, peer, peeress, peer of the realm, patrician, grandee, titled man/woman/person