In December 2014, the German TV broadcaster ARD aired a documentary alleging systematic doping throughout Russia’s sports programs as well as the Russian government’s role in procuring performance-enhancing drugs and covering up urine test results. In the wake of that documentary, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) released a lengthy report in November 2015 essentially backing up those claims, implicating Russian athletes, coaches, trainers, doctors and various institutions as conspirators in a state-subsidized doping program. Among the many allegations: widespread bribery of officials, submitting bogus urine samples, dodging drug testers at sports events and the use of false identities to avoid unexpected testing. The WADA report generated outrage all over the world, leading to an unprecedented ruling: In June 2016 Russia’s track and field team was barred from competing in the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. This TBook, featuring a compilation of articles from The New York Times, chronicles the far-reaching effects of the Russian doping scandal.
