This is already beyond the bounds: the Russian Foreign Ministry accused US and Canadian anti-doping officials of cheating • Newsru.com • RIMA

This is already beyond the bounds: the Russian Foreign Ministry accused US and Canadian anti-doping officials of cheating

Director of the Department of Information and Press of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova, at a department briefing on Thursday, accused anti-doping officials in the United States and Canada of playing dirty and cheating, pointing out unjustified concessions to overseas athletes caught doping.

As an example, Zakharova cited the story of the former champion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight, American Jon Jones, who was caught in 2017 for repeated doping.

She recalled that the athlete's four-year disqualification in exchange for cooperation with the American Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and providing information about the use of prohibited drugs by other athletes was first reduced to 30 months, and then to 15.

Anti-doping officials in the US and Canada are cheating, said Maria Zakharova, Director of the Department of Information and Press of the Russian Foreign Ministry: https://t.co/GfHypQJ3AR pic.twitter.com/TO5nUnXioD
— TASS (@tass_agency) October 4, 2018

“The basis was the allegation that Jones allegedly used anabolic steroids unintentionally and they did not affect the results of his performances. Listen, but this is just pure cheating, which is what American, Canadian and other sports officials are doing. It turns out that it is necessary to punish only when doping affects the results, and if, for example, an athlete took doping and does not take prizes, then this is normal, he may not even need to be punished. This is beyond the bounds,” TASS quotes Zakharova.

Another example of the mentioned double standards, in her opinion, is the refusal to bring charges against the three-time Olympic medalist in the triple jump and long jump, American Will Clay , who tested positive for the banned drug clenbuterol in August of this year.

“It is very noteworthy that, as USADA stated, this substance most likely entered the body in connection with the consumption of meat from Mexico,” Zakharova emphasized. “Now Mexico is to blame. And everything is accidental. It seems that American claims to leadership in the fight for the purity of sport is simply unfair competition, and the above examples are a clear confirmation of this.”