A CHEATING Russian athlete who turned whistleblower to expose her nation’s organised doping could compete at this summer’s Olympics in Rio.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) will this week consider a proposal to grant a special exemption to Yuliya Stepanova, 29, so that she can run as a “hero athlete” even if Russia is banned from taking part.
It is believed the IAAF taskforce, currently assessing changes being made in Russia, is supportive of the 800m runner’s return to international competition.
She and her husband Vitaly, a former official in the Russian anti-doping agency, have alleged systematic cheating. They claim officials supplied banned substances in exchange for 5% of an athlete’s earnings and colluded with doping control officers to falsify tests.
In 2013 Stepanova received a two-year ban from the IAAF because of her past steroid use. She is still training with the hope of competing, perhaps under the IAAF flag.
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Her case for reinstatement will be put to the IAAF at its council meeting in Monaco. It has become embarrassing for the sport’s governing body as it puts to the test its commitment to athletes who blow the whistle on doping within their sport.
The irony is that Russia was banned largely because of evidence collected by Stepanova who is regarded as the most influential whistleblower in the history of athletics. She secretly taped fellow athletes and coaches speaking of their doping.