Sport Ireland Statement on WADA Independent Person Report

In response to WADA’s Independent Person Report issued on Monday (18 July), Sport Ireland has issued the following statement:

Following the release of WADA’s Independent Person Report, Chief Executive, John Treacy, today confirmed Sport Ireland’s support for WADA’s recommendation that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) consider declining entries to Rio 2016 for all athletes submitted by the Russian Olympic Committee and the Russian Paralympic Committee.

John Treacy, CEO Sport Ireland, said:

“In the wake of the Mclaren Report, Sport Ireland is calling on the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee to take the strongest possible action to protect integrity of sport at the highest level. It is important that a clear message is sent – doping at any level will not be tolerated, and there will be serious consequences for any individual or group involved.

“From an Irish perspective, Sport Ireland will continue to work with WADA and other key stakeholders to protect Ireland's sporting integrity against the threat of doping, and will continue to work hard to make sure sport at all levels is kept clean.”

Dr Una May, Director of Participation and Ethics Sport Ireland, added:

“The Mclaren report reinforces the allegations of systematic doping in Russian sport which emerged earlier in the year and, irrelevant of what country it is involved, you would hope that the strongest possible stance is taken by the IOC and IPC.

“There is a positive in that this series of investigations was able to uncover the level of corruption and got to the core of the problem, which is a positive step in the global fight against doping in sport.”

Dr Una May appeared on RTة Radio One’s Morning Ireland to discuss the report. That interview can be listened to here: http://www.rte.ie/radio1/morning-ireland/podcasts/

More information on Sport Ireland’s Anti-Doping programme can be found here: http://www.irishsportscouncil.ie/Anti-Doping/