Declaration of the IOC Executive Board

On 9 December 2016, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) plans to publish the final and completed version of the “Independent Person Report”. It is an investigative report, compiled by Professor Richard McLaren, and deals with doping allegations against Russia, including alleged manipulations in the WADA-accredited anti-doping laboratory at the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014.

The facts on which these allegations are based in the interim report (18 July 2016) go to the heart of the Olympic Games and are a fundamental attack on their integrity. This is why the IOC had asked WADA to extend the mandate of Prof. McLaren to complete his work and to present his extended and final report. The Executive Board would like to reiterate its appreciation of the work that has been done by Prof. McLaren.

In order for the competent bodies, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC), to draw the relevant conclusions, due process now has to be followed. The evidence provided by Prof. McLaren in his investigation has to be evaluated, and those implicated have to be given the right to be heard. This includes the athletes, the Russian Ministry of Sport, and other implicated persons and organisations.

Once all the evidence has been considered, the IOC Executive Board will then issue the appropriate measures and sanctions related to the Olympic Games.

To prepare these decisions, the IOC already established on 19 July 2016 two commissions:

• An Inquiry Commission, under the chairmanship of Samuel Schmid, is addressing the alleged government-sponsored system of doping, in particular with regard to the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014.

• A Disciplinary Commission, under the chairmanship of Denis Oswald, is addressing the question of doping and manipulation of samples concerning the Russian athletes participating in the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014. In the context of this Disciplinary Commission, all the samples of all Russian athletes participating in Sochi will be re-analysed. The re-analysis will be two-fold: on one hand to establish whether there was doping, but not reported; and on the other hand, to establish whether the samples themselves were manipulated.

Both Commissions will resume their contact with Prof. McLaren and are looking forward to good cooperation with him. The IOC had already given Prof. McLaren access to all the samples needed for his investigation.

The IOC Executive Board has further decided to extend the provisional measures taken on 19 July 2016 against Russia until further notice.

Once the above-mentioned process is complete, the IOC Executive Board will take all the appropriate measures and sanctions in the context of the Olympic Games, such as disqualification of athletes from competition at the Olympic Games, and the exclusion of implicated officials, entourage or government officials from the Olympic Games.

Outside the Olympic Games, the International Federations have the authority for any consequential sanctions of athletes and entourage from other international competitions, and potentially the suspension of national federations.

Lausanne, 7 December 2016