Doping allegations fuel fears of melt-down in athletics

Fears of a melt-down in athletics intensified with the intervention of the World Anti-Doping Agency who announced an independent commission to investigate allegations first raised by a German TV station.

These imply a constructive doping programme, which, if proved, would surpass both state-sponsored doping by the former East Germany and the Balco affair which brought down multiple Olympic champion Marion Jones, world 100m record-holder Tim Montgomery, and Britain's former European sprint champion Dwain Chambers.

Athletics risks being dragged as low as cycling was as a consequence of the Festina affair which resulted ultimately in exposure of cheat Lance Armstrong.

Recent German revelations featured undercover video of what was claimed were Russian athletes and coaches admitting to covering up positive doping tests. It implicated several high-profile competitors including London 2012 Olympic 800 metres champion Mariya Savinova and London and Chicago marathon winner Liliya Shobukhova. Shobukova allegedly paid 450,000 euros to make her positive sample go away. It was claimed that 99% of Russian Olympians were doping, and that coaches were paid to provide drugs.

The president of the Russian Athletics Federation, Valentin Balakhnichev, claimed this was "lies" but has since stood down voluntarily as IAAF treasurer; Papa Massata Diack (son of the IAAF president) has suspended his IAAF marketing advisory role; and Frenchman Gabriel Dollé, director of the IAAF medical and anti-doping department, quit after having been interviewed by the IAAF ethics commission.

WADA's intervention, ups the odds. Its president is Sir Craig Reedie, a former partner in a Glasgow company of financial advisers, and British IOC member.

He has named one of Reedie's predecessors, its founding chairman Richard Pound, as head of a three-strong commission which Reedie said last night had already begun work.

"This casts serious doubts on the integrity of the sport in Russia," Sir Craig told The Herald last night. "The Russian sports minister understands that, and has offered complete co-operation. WADA has been invited by a number of national and international organisations to run this investigation and we will do so.

"It will be monitored carefully by the IAAF and IOC. Thomas Bach [IOC president] has said he wants to know if any athlete under Olympic jurisdiction is identified so that appropriate action can be taken."

This is encouraging beyond measure as is the presence of Pound. He's not a man to be deflected. During his tenure at WADA the Balco affair was settled and Armstrong was pursued.

All manner of threats were delivered during the Armstrong affair, but the stakes are even higher now. Lives may be at stake. Especially that of whistle-blower Vitaly Stepanov. He has already spoken to WADA, and they will hear his evidence. He was with Rusada, the Russian anti-doping agency, for three years. He is one of those offered money to destroy doping samples and is now in hiding outside Russia with his wife and year-old son.

The IAAF insists its "primary concern must always be to protect the integrity of competition in support of the vast majority of clean athletes."

Well, I watched Scotland's Lynsey Sharp take silver at the 2012 European Championships, only to discover the Russian winner had cheated. Sharp was presented with her gold at Glasgow's Emirates by her father, Cameron. It was certainly a memorable and emotiona ceremony, but his daughter was denied savouring the moment every athlete craves: the post race adulation, the anthem, the flag ceremony.

This demeans sport and simply has to stop. If it means excluding nations from the Olympic arena, so be it. National federations proven complicit in doping must be suspended by the Olympic movement. The necessary sanctions exist, but Bach may now be man enough to implement them.