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ASADA backs WADA bullying investigation

3 minute read

The Australian and US anti-doping authorities are supporting Beckie Scott who claims she was bullied by WADA executives.

The Australian and US sports anti-doping authorities have expressed their support for athlete advocate Beckie Scott, who has claimed she was bullied by executives in the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Ms Scott, a former Canadian Olympic cross-country skiing champion, resigned from WADA's Compliance Review Committee last month over its decision to reinstate the Russian anti-doping authority.

WADA voted last month to lift the ban on Russia's anti-doping authority, RUSADA, which was suspended in 2015 following allegations of state-sponsored doping.

In a heavily-criticised decision, WADA said that one of the key sticking points - access to stored urine samples at RUSADA's Moscow laboratory - were yet to be provided.

Ms Scott told the BBC on Friday she was "treated with disrespect" and "bullied" when she voiced opposition to the decision.

Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority head David Sharpe on Saturday called for WADA to have bullying allegations within its executive independently investigated.

"Bullying has no place in society and it is abhorrent to contemplate that a respected figure such as Ms Scott has faced such alleged behaviour from senior officials within WADA," Mr Sharpe said.

Ms Scott also said WADA had become too heavily aligned with the Olympic movement and was in need of reform.

USADA head Travis T Tygart agreed with Ms Scott, saying she was "in tune with those who value clean sport".

"As many others have said before, and as the evidence now clearly shows, the World Anti-Doping Agency has morphed into the International Olympic Committee in all but name.

"It simply defies logic to have the very individuals whose role it is to promote sport, police it too."

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