World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president Craig Reedie on Thursday said that the body could lift its suspension of Russia’s drug-testing authority later this year after nearly two years on the blacklist.
The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) has been suspended since 2015 in the wake of the report by Richard McLaren which uncovered widespread doping in Russian sport.
According to Reedie, the RUSADA had taken concrete steps to clean up its image and could resume testing next month based on compliance criteria requested by WADA.
Russia’s commitment to comply with WADA’s demanded improvements was called into question by the appointment of former pole vault star Yelena Isinbayeva as president of RUSADA last December. The former athlete had earlier claimed that the Mclaren report unfairly targeted Russia, describing it as a “political act.”
The scandal led to Russian track and field athletes being barred from the Rio Olympics last year following a ban from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).