World Anti-Doping Agency says it is “committed to protecting the confidentiality of athletes”

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is to begin an investigation “with urgency” following widespread doping allegations against international athletics.

It comes after the Sunday Times and German broadcaster ARD/WDR revealed blood-test data, belonging to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which the newspaper and broadcaster said had been leaked by a whistleblower. It was reported how the statistics, which included 12,000 blood tests from 5000 athletes from 2001-2012, suggested that a third of global championship medals in endurance events during that period were won by athletes with suspicious test readings.

On Tuesday the IAAF released a statement and 3900-word response in which it labelled the allegations as “sensationalist and confusing”.

WADA’s investigation is to be launched by its independent commission, the agency confirmed on Friday.

“WADA is committed to protecting the confidentiality of athletes; and, therefore, has asked its independent commission to commence its investigation with urgency,” said WADA president Sir Craig Reedie.

“We are confident that the IAAF, which has formally agreed to full cooperation with the commission with respect to its inquiries, is equally committed.

“WADA deplores the manner in which this data was obtained, leaked to the media and analyzed,” Reedie added. “To suggest or imply doping with respect to any athlete whose data is contained within the database is, at the very least, irresponsible and potentially libelous. I ask that any athlete, or anti-doping organization, concerned that their rights are being eroded or inappropriately challenged refer those concerns to the commission, which intends to commence its work immediately.”

David Howman, WADA director general, said: “A portion of the data within the database pre-dates the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP), which was introduced in 2009. This data could not possibly be considered doping, legally or otherwise.

“In addition, atypical blood data, which may be within this database from 2009 2012, is not necessarily indicative of doping. The strength of the ABP is that it monitors selected biological variables over time, via the blood, which indirectly reveal the effects of doping. WADA’s rules governing the ABP are designed to ensure a complete and fair review of ABP profiles and require the unanimous opinion of three experts.”

The independent commission, which is chaired by WADA’s founding president, Dick Pound, was formed after the broadcast of another ARD documentary – ‘Top-secret doping: How Russia makes its winners‘ – aired in December 2014.

A WADA statement read in part: “The role of the commission is to investigate the validity of allegations of doping practices; corrupt practices around sample collection and results management; and, other ineffective administration of anti-doping processes that implicate Russia, the IAAF, athletes, coaches, trainers, doctors and other members of athletes’ entourages; as well as, the accredited laboratory based in Moscow and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA).”

The commission is due to deliver its report to WADA’s president by the end of the year unless, as WADA added, he deems it appropriate to extend the mandate.

In response, the IAAF said it “warmly welcomes” WADA’s “clear and unequivocal” statement.

“The IAAF, like WADA, is committed to protecting the interests of clean athletes but believes strongly that all anti-doping initiatives need to be handled strictly within the framework of the WADA code,” read an IAAF press release in part, with the world governing body confirming it has agreed to send its full database with pre-2009 data to WADA and will fully co-operate with WADA on the analysis of its contents.

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