Russia Gave Athletes Steroids During 2014 Olympics, Swapped Urine Samples Per NYT Report
By Ty Duffy
The New York Times is reporting Russia was engaged in blatant, elaborate, and systematic cheating during the 2014 Winter Olympics. The information comes from Grigory Rodchenkov, the head of Russia’s anti-doping laboratory, who resigned in November.
Athletes were given a literal steroid cocktail, served in Chivas whiskey for men and Martini vermouth for women. The alcohol quickened absorption and limited the detection window.
"By his own admission, Dr. Rodchenkov, who has a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry, used his expertise to help athletes properly use banned substances and go undetected, which he says was done at the behest of the Russian government. After years of trial and error, he said, he developed a cocktail of three anabolic steroids — metenolone, trenbolone and oxandrolone — that he claims many top-level Russian athletes used leading up to the London Olympics in 2012 and throughout the Sochi Games."
To keep athletes using the drugs during the Olympics, Russia, per the NYT, also swapped urine samples from the lab for clean ones during the competition. Athletes texted pictures of their bottle code.
" Dr. Rodchenkov said that each night, a sports ministry official would send him a list of athletes whose samples needed to be swapped. To match the individual athletes to their anonymous samples — which are coded with a seven-digit number — Dr. Rodchenkov said that athletes snapped pictures of their sample forms, including the code, and texted them to the ministry, offering forbidden insight into whose urine was whose. "
The bottles were swapped out for clean samples of their urine taken earlier at night through a hole in the wall. Rodchenkov believed Russian intelligence uncovered a way to break into the sealed B bottles, leaving the cap intact.
" The sealed B bottles were handed over to the man Dr. Rodchenkov believed was a Russian intelligence officer, who would take them to an adjacent building. Within hours, Dr. Rodchenkov said, the glass bottles were returned to the storage room, their caps unlocked. "
Russia beat the United States in “the medal count,” with 13 golds, 11 silvers, and 9 bronze. The list of athletes included gold medalists in bobsledding, skeleton, and cross country skiing, as well as the entire Russian women’s hockey team.