Today, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced the sanctions resulting from its investigation into ‘Operation LIMS’ based on data and samples successfully obtained by WADA. Intelligence and Investigations (I&I) passed 200 points from the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory’s Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) in 2019.
As of today, a total of 203 Russian athletes have been sanctioned by 17 Anti-Doping Organizations (ADOs), with 73 additional charges plus 182 more cases under investigation.
WADA President Witold Bańka said: “The continued success of WADA’s ‘Operation LIMS’ investigation is a testament to the important work being done by the Agency’s Intelligence and Investigations and Legal Affairs departments. I would also like to thank the International Federations and other Anti-Doping Organizations for diligently tracking the evidence packages WADA provides to them and continuing to prosecute accordingly. WADA is following all relevant authorities involved in the investigation to ensure justice is served for athletes worldwide.”
Gunter Younger, Director of WADA I&I, said:WADA Intelligence & Investigations is pleased to have passed this important milestone of 200 successfully confirmed cases. However, we still have a lot of work ahead of us. ‘Operation LIMS’ required significant operational collaboration between Anti-Doping Organizations and other stakeholders. The success of this operation largely depends on the investment of WADA and the anti-doping community in intelligence and investigations, and it shows what can be achieved with effective cooperation.”
About ‘Operation LIMS‘
In 2015, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) was declared non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code after WADA uncovered widely institutionalized doping in Russian sport. Inside September 2018, WADA’s Executive Committee voted to reinstate RUSADA, subject to a stringent set of conditions. This decision paved the way for WADA I&I’s successful missions in Russia. January 2019 And April 2019 To retrieve data from the Moscow Laboratory’s LIMS and a set of samples.
During the authentication phase that followed, some data was found to have been manipulated, resulting in a new compliance lawsuit against RUSADA. International Code Compliance Standard for SignersA strong legal framework enacted in April 2018 After the first lawsuit against RUSADA.
This led WADA to re-search for RUSADA’s non-compliance with a series of strong results for a four-year period. in his judgment December 2020The Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld WADA’s case, but imposed on Russia weaker results than WADA was seeking and a two-year period instead of four. Meanwhile, ‘Operation LIMS‘ managed to forensically recover most of the manipulated and/or deleted data, resulting in hundreds of strong lawsuits against athletes who were part of Russia’s doping program.
Thursday, 18 May 2023