Image copyright RIA Novosti A member of the Russian Federation Council, vice president of the Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) Tatiana Lebedev said in an interview with BBC BBC that Russia will not voluntarily refuse to participate in official competitions, including Games 2016 in Rio.
As previously reported, such a proposal based on the recommendations of the commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency in VFLA turned from International Athletics Federation (IAAF). WADA Independent Commission in its report accused the Russians of systematic violations related to doping athletes representing Russia.
Senator Lebedev is the owner of five Olympic medals, including gold in 2004 in the long jump. In 2012 Tatyana Lebedeva took part in the Olympic Games in London, and then to complete a career and went into politics.
From the Tatyana Lebedeva interviewed by BBC Russian Service Rafael Saakov .
Bi-bi-si: Have the so-scale accusations by the Commission WADA the unexpected for you?
Tatyana Lebedeva: I can not say it’s unexpected, as the investigation continued for almost a year. We, for our part, also took active steps. Of course, it is assumed that there are serious allegations, but the recommendation to suspend the team from participating in the Olympic Games has become for us a sad fact. On the one hand, we understand that we had a problem, and we have tried to solve them. After the movie [on German television] we underwent major changes – the president of Athletics Federation has resigned, appointed new head coach of the national team, there is a gradual upgrade and senior trainers on individual disciplines. In summer, the first time we did not take to the World Cup walkers, despite their merits, to show that we are really struggling, that we have our own anti-doping program. Athletes – piece goods. You can not just take the material and molded him champion.
Bi-bi-si: Do you concede that the Russian team to voluntarily refuse to participate in the Games-2016 to recommendations of WADA?
Tatyana Lebedeva : It is advisory in nature, but of course we will not abandon themselves from the competition. We have new faces, it’s a completely different format athletes, they all perform, pass doping tests, and they have no complaints. If they do not perform at the Olympics, it will be a tragedy for them. And it will be a blow not only for the Russian sport, but also for the international athletics federation. Why should suffer these athletes?
Bi-bi-si: So you think that the punishment must be a guilty athletes?
Tatyana Lebedeva: Yes, most of these athletes have already disqualified, and they are either removed or have already completed a career. We try to eliminate the problem of doping. Maybe this film gave rise to, we conducted a sweep in their ranks, stopped, compared notes and realized where we are going.
Restart in athletics
Bi-bi-si: You can even glad that this film came out?
Tatyana Lebedeva: Not to say that I’m glad because it affects the image of athletics in the form of loss of sponsors, and the International Federation of it wins. But we know from other sports such as cycling, biathlon, which is also a reboot, that it brings a new level and the game is on the new rules. In athletics, the same is happening now to reboot.
Bi-bi-si: However, Russia still connected too many doping scandals. Has the the level of critical mass right now?
Tatyana Lebedeva: These bells were not only in Russia, there have been cases with American athletes sprinters Marion Jones and Justin Gatlin, with the Kenyans, with the Italians. The turn to Russia. I’m not saying that it was specially made, but to Russia, is among the leaders, has always been more attention. We understand that we have a great responsibility, and we will have to respond to the full. We are ready to respond, and we are ready for a dialogue with WADA, the International Federation of Athletics and others.
Bi-bi-si: You are talking about dialogue, but Commission report WADA, among other things, said that the new leadership of the federation and did not allow the experts to communicate with the athletes. Maybe it’s missing is transparency?
Tatyana Lebedeva: The fact is that to the WADA conducted an investigation, but we did not informed in any context . We have a self-preservation instinct breakdowns, reserved to athletes from some kind of slander for lack of evidence. Especially when it comes to athletes who have not won more awards at the international level, and they immediately fell upon this responsibility, as representatives of the Russian team, even pressure to some extent. There is no direct evidence. Yes, there is a record, but it was not possible to get the originals of these records. The requirement for life disqualify athletes – too hard.
President of the Federation “has been closed for us”
Bi-bi-si: And as the athletes and then the status of vice-president of the federation you worked with former President VFLA Valentin Balakhnichev which the report called the main culprit of corruption scandals.
Tatyana Lebedeva: Valentin V. – how lone wolf. Maybe that was the problem, he did not admit us to the information. He did everything himself. And in 2008, when the question [about the disqualification of seven athletes], we did not own the information. Somehow uryvochno, scraps. And now it is up to the last he tried to cope. If we were originally included in this process may have taken some unpopular measures to stop the ball. And it happened that when babahnulo, we have had nothing to do. We can not say that he is the one to blame, but the fact that it was closed for us, it’s there. Or is it we do not want to substitute or thought he handle all under his control.
Bi-bi-si: What are the steps the Russian side intends to take in the current situation?
Tatyana Lebedeva: We are now considering some nuances that need to prepare a report to the International Athletics Federation that we have made in the fight against Doping and what we plan to do in the near future. Of course, a year, no one will, because in front of the Olympic Games, we have a maximum of one or two months. We hope for prudence. In the near future there will be advice IAAF, to which we have to prepare all the necessary documentation.
Bi-bi-si: Does, in your opinion, the International Federation of Athletics former head of which Lamine Diack is suspected of receiving bribes from Russia, to share responsibility for this scandal?
Tatyana Lebedeva: Are they ready to take responsibility, they are, of course, You have to do it. There is not only one person to blame, who gave a bribe. Someone took them, demand creates supply. Corruption can only be unilateral. Be responsible should be the one who takes the bribe, and respond with the utmost rigor of the law.
“The gold medal will not buy”
Bi-bi-si: If Russian athletes still banned from the Olympics, whether Russia in response, for example, completely boycott the Games in Rio?
Tatyana Lebedeva: Do not want to consider this option. All the same, I hope, with time, of boycotts Olympics in 1980 and 1984 were in the last century. We must respect, first of all, athletes are ready and dreamed of participating in the Olympics. To deprive them of that dream – it means losing some generation and attention to the sport in general.
Bi-bi-si: you are personally faced with demands to pay a bribe for place in the team, which is, among others, described in the report?
Tatyana Lebedeva: Fortunately, we have a pretty fair sport. Maybe, in the gym, where judges make decisions that are not always clear on what all the characteristics evaluated. We have a charter, according to which place in the team obtained the champion of Russia and the athlete, runner-up in the championship. Third place was given by the decision of trainer’s advice and go here often some battles for to get into the team. I believe that the athlete should get into the national team for the principle of sport. If I knew that I could not fight for the first place, I initially did not go to the selection. Of course, athletes are different. Maybe for someone highest level – just to get into the national team of Russia. Money is no rescue, because at the Olympics you are a gold medal in any event, can not buy.
Bi-bi-si: In Russia, the commission’s report WADA many called politicized. How can we explain such a reaction?
Tatyana Lebedeva: part, I agree, some proportion of policy in this, maybe there is, but I do not think that this is important. From the problem of doping does not refuse anybody. If you take in the overall political context, of course, Russia, USA, Germany, China has always been involved in the confrontation of the top three in the unofficial team standings at the Olympics. This, too, someone is trying to use. If this policy is to win, I would be a little sad. Sport, of course, today is politicized, this will not go away, but he always had his rod to be stored.
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