Final McLaren report 'several months away'

Omnisports

September 16, 2016 3:51 AM

The final report from professor Richard McLaren remains some way off being published, according to the Canadian sports lawyer.

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Professor Richard McLaren has revealed the next instalment of his report into Russian athletes is still several months away from publication.

McLaren's initial report rocked Russian sport when it was published in July, its findings alleging a state-sponsored system in the country that protected doped athletes.

As a result the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) recommended a ban of all Russian competitors at the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio.

The IOC opted to allow individual sport federations to rule on athletes' participation, with 271 Russians competing in Brazil, while none of the country's Paralympic competitors were allowed to feature by the IPC.

McLaren's latest report will provide data to individual federations, but its findings remain some way off being published.

"A date is not established," he told a media conference in Zurich.

"We are in the second phase of the investigation that's directed primarily at the information we have on athletes and providing that information to the various international federations. Then it will be up to them to take action but that's their decision, not mine.

"In the course of completing that work we would also report on information that we had, that we didn't have time to analyse in the last report, and see if it either makes the picture bigger, clearer or changes it, and that would be in the report.

"Precisely when that will occur, not determined at this stage, but it's at least several months away.

"We are still working through the specific details of all the information we have and we haven't reported any of it to any sporting federation at this stage. We intend to do so, we haven't done it yet because we are not finished with the work. When it's done, we will."

McLaren also criticised Russian cyber group 'Fancy Bears' after they released data on a number of therapeutic use exemptions granted to athletes, the information hacked from WADA's systems.

He added: "Releasing the information without that explanation is simply a smear against athletes because they are entitled to, if they follow the rules, have a TUE and use a prohibited substance because it's necessary for whatever the medical condition is.

"So I think a lot of the information flowing out of the hacking event has been completely misinterpreted in the world press."

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