MANAGEMENT SKILLS APPLIED TO AN ETHICAL ISSUE IN SPORT

INTRODUCTION
The 2015 doping scandal that brought to light the alleged widespread use of performance
enhancing drugs by Russian athletes proved to be a watershed moment in the history of sport.
Further investigation later proved the existence of a sophisticated state sponsored doping
program that had been running for over 2 decades in Russia. This has led to the Russian team
being banned from all major international sporting competitions as of 2019 including the 2020
(2021) Olympics in Tokyo and the FIFA world cup, 2022.

The Russian doping allegations were unique, because in this case, the doping was sponsored
by the state. There have also been allegations of intimidation by the Russian Secret Service,
manipulation of data, switching of samples, widespread bribery, and corruption. In this paper
we posit a framework that not only elucidates why this arose but also to ensure that this sort
of doping program never occurs again.

BACKGROUND
In December 2014, German broadcaster ARD showcased a documentary that showed
alleged systematic doping within the Russian Athletics Federation. The documentary titled
“The secret of doping: How Russia makes its winners” made explosive claims that not only
did corrupt Russian officials cover up dope tests of dirty athletes, but also accused them of
supplying the athletes with banned substances.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) immediately commissioned an independent

commission to conduct an enquiry into the allegations. The committee was chaired by former
WADA chairman, Dick Pound. The results of the enquiry were damning for Russian track and
field athletes. Whistleblowers Vitaly Stepanov and his wife Yuliya Stepanova also provided
irrefutable evidence implicating Dr Sergei Portugalov, the head of the Institute of Russian
physical culture, as the mastermind behind the organized state sponsored doping. Russian
track and field athletes subsequently received a blanket ban from world sport.

Further to this, Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, the then director of the WADA accredited Moscow
Anti-doping laboratory defected to the United States and presented evidence that Russian
athletes across all sports were involved in a massive doping program. Dr. Rodchenkov also

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 MANAGEMENT SKILLS APPLIED TO AN ETHICAL ISSUE IN SPORT

revealed the extent of the subterfuge at the Sochi winter Olympics,2014. This also implicated
the FSB, the Russian secret service of tampering with the Berlinger bottles containing athlete
samples and smuggling them into the laboratory. Dr. Rodchenkov’s move came after the
death of Nikita Kamaev, the head of the Russian Anti-Doping agency, RUSADA. WADA
commissioned an even deeper enquiry and has subsequently banned Russia from taking part
in any international sporting competition.

SOURCES OF CONFLICT
Although a lot of focus has rightfully been on the scale of doping in Russia, there has also been
a large scale fall out in the way the different agencies involved handled the issue. The IAAF,
the IOC and WADA each operated inconsistently leading to the situation being completely
mismanaged.

The Sunday Times from Britain and ARD obtained a database belonging to the International
Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) which revealed that one third of the medals in
track and field races had been won by athletes with spurious doping tests, but none of them
have been stripped of their medals. The IAAF claimed that the testing was flawed and refuted
the allegations.

If mid 2016, post the Rodchenkov reveal, WADA had recommended that all Russian athletes
and not just those involved in track and field events be banned from the 2016 Rio Olympics.
However, the International Olympic Committee chose to ignore these recommendations and
Russia participated in the Rio Olympics winning 56 total medals.

WADA itself was questioned because all the doping and the manipulation of tests was being
done at a WADA accredited lab.

Both the conflict within the Russian operation and the inconsistencies between the agencies
were prime examples of dysfunctional conflict.

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 MANAGEMENT SKILLS APPLIED TO AN ETHICAL ISSUE IN SPORT

Inattention
to results

Avoidance of
accountability

Lack of commitment

Fear of conflict

Absense of trust

Fig 1: Elements of dysfunctional conflict

All 5 pillars of dysfunctional conflict were present abundantly in the IAAF doping scandal.
ABSENCE OF TRUST:
There was complete lack of trust between the different sporting bodies. Each one of them
operated on their own and this resulted in a lot of inconsistencies.
FEAR OF CONFLICT:
Both within the Russian sporting apparatus and between the sporting bodies, the situation
was not discussed head on. Fear of conflict just let to the problem escalating to a much bigger
level.
LACK OF COMMITMENT:
There was a complete lack of commitment to sporting ethics by the athletes. The Russian
officials as well demonstrated a complete apathy for commitment to the WADA code of
conduct that they were supposed to uphold.
AVOIDANCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
Executives at all levels of the regulatory bodies and in the Russian government absolved
themselves of all accountability. This led to a lot of blame shifting once the situation
unraveled.
INATTENTION TO RESULTS
This is a paradox as the obsession with results is what led to the large-scale doping program.
Results at any cost is as detrimental as inattention to results.

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 MANAGEMENT SKILLS APPLIED TO AN ETHICAL ISSUE IN SPORT

RISK MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK FOR READMITTING RUSSIA

Readmitting Russian athletes into world sport comes with the inherent risk of
compromising the sanctity of the sport in question. The evaluation process must be
stringent and sweeping.
REVIEW SCHEDULE, PROCESS, AND PARTIES RESPONSIBLE
Risks must be reviewed on an annual basis by an independent WADA commission.

RISK MANAGEMENT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

ROLE WHO WILL IT BE RESPONSIBILITIES
Head of Moscow Anti- A WADA Ensure testing is done in a transparent
Doping laboratory appointee way
Independent Commission WADA Periodic reassessment of risk
appointed
IOC representative IOC appointee Ensure IOC regulations are met
IAFF representative IAFF appointee Ensure IAFF regulations are met
RISK REPORTING PROCESS
RISK REGISTER
IDENTIFIED RISK CURRENT RISK MITIGATION STRATEGIES
STATUS
Athletes given performance Unknown More stringent testing and re-education
enhancing drugs of athletes.
Drug test samples are High WADA appointee takes over the
manipulated Moscow testing lab
Drug test reports are High Ensure testing is done 100%
manipulated transparently under WADA observation
Political influence in sport High Include a binding decoupling clause in
the readmittance agreement

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RISK ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION

IDENTIFIED RISK RISK GRADE POTENTIAL IMPACT

Usage of PEDs
Drug test samples are
manipulated
Drug test reports are
manipulated
Influence of state in sport
A Unfair advantage to Russian athletes
B WADA testing is rendered futile
B WADA testing is rendered futile
A All world sport is at risk

CONCLUSION
In order to readmit Russia back into the fold of international sport, it is important that certain
rules are established. This will not only serve to ensure that doping is cleaned up in the
country but is also needed to ensure that other countries do not feel shortchanged in the
process. A robust, thorough risk management framework is needed to ensure that history
does not repeat itself.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. O’Reilly, N. (2018, October 25). Athletes are rightly concerned about lifting Russia’s
doping ban. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/athletes-are-rightly-
concerned-about-lifting-russias-doping-ban-103738

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2. A. (2018, September 19). If Wada lifts Russia’s doping suspension, it will be a

catastrophe for clean sport: Whistleblower. Scroll.In. https://scroll.in/field/894933/if-
wada-lifts-russias-doping-suspension-it-will-be-a-catastrophe-for-clean-sport-
whistleblower
3. Deutsche Welle (www.dw.com). (2016). A timeline of IAAF doping scandal.
DW.COM. https://www.dw.com/en/a-timeline-of-iaaf-doping-scandal/a-18836663
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mastermind. https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-53596997
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