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Grigory Rodchenkov
Grigory Mikhailovich Rodchenkov (Russian: Григорий Михайлович Родченков; born 24 October 1958) is a former head of Russia's national anti-doping laboratory, the Anti-Doping Center. Rodchenkov is known for his involvement in the state-run doping program in Russia.
In November 2015, the Independent Commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) determined Rodchenkov was "at the heart of the positive drug test coverup", and that he had been directly involved with concealing positive tests and destroying 1,417 urine samples. Rodchenkov made headlines in 2016 after an interview to The New York Times exposing the doping program in Russia. Rodchenkov said he developed a three-drug cocktail of banned substances that he mixed with liquor and provided to dozens of athletes at the Sochi Olympics. Rodchenkov's allegations were confirmed by the independent McLaren Report, leading to Russia's partial bans from the 2016 Summer Olympics and 2018 Winter Olympics. Since the revelations became public, Rodchenkov has been living in hiding, under witness protection.
Rodchenkov and his connections to Russian doping were the subject of the 2017 Netflix documentary Icarus, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 90th Oscars ceremony.
In 2023, the United States authorized the Rodchenkov Act which seeks to identify and sanction individuals involved in doping at major international sporting events if American companies are involved in sponsoring those events or the American financial system is utilized by the organizers.
Rodchenkov was born in Moscow. His mother worked as a doctor at Kremlin Hospital (now Central Clinical Hospital). Throughout school he was involved in athletics and during his studies he was a member of the MSU national team and met the standard of the Master of Sports in Athletics. Rodchenkov graduated from Moscow State University and received his PhD in chemistry with a focus on chemical kinetics and catalysis. In 1985, he started working at the Moscow Anti-Doping Centre. In 1986, he worked at the 1986 Goodwill Games in Moscow and co-discovered 14 positive samples, including those of sprinter Ben Johnson. However, the announcement was not made because the sports and party leaders of the USSR did not want to cause a scandal.
Rodchenkov later described the Soviet Union's state-sponsored doping program served as a model for Russia's program in the 21st century, with Vladimir Putin merely continuing what Joseph Stalin started. In 1994, he moved to Interlab. When he returned to Russia, he worked for different petrochemical companies.[failed verification] He joined the Anti-Doping Centre in Calgary for the 1988 Winter Olympics. From July 2006 until November 2015 he worked as the director of the Anti-Doping Center, then Russia's only laboratory accredited by WADA.
In 2011, Russian authorities opened an investigation against Rodchenkov's sister, champion runner Marina Rodchenkova, for buying and possessing banned drugs that she admitted she had intended to supply to athletes. Rodchenkov was also arrested in relation to this investigation and questioned on suspicion of sourcing and selling banned drugs. He was placed in a psychiatric hospital for schizotypal personality disorder following a suicide attempt after charges were filed against him. Charges against him were eventually dropped, but his sister was convicted in December 2012 and given a suspended sentence.
At the time, Rodchenkov was the director of Russia's national anti-doping laboratory. In June/July 2013, British journalist Nick Harris informed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and WADA about this criminal drug case and suspicions of Rodchenkov's involvement, but this information was apparently ignored. Rodchenkov claims he was not jailed by Russian authorities in 2012 because they had earmarked him to dope their athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
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Grigory Rodchenkov
Grigory Mikhailovich Rodchenkov (Russian: Григорий Михайлович Родченков; born 24 October 1958) is a former head of Russia's national anti-doping laboratory, the Anti-Doping Center. Rodchenkov is known for his involvement in the state-run doping program in Russia.
In November 2015, the Independent Commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) determined Rodchenkov was "at the heart of the positive drug test coverup", and that he had been directly involved with concealing positive tests and destroying 1,417 urine samples. Rodchenkov made headlines in 2016 after an interview to The New York Times exposing the doping program in Russia. Rodchenkov said he developed a three-drug cocktail of banned substances that he mixed with liquor and provided to dozens of athletes at the Sochi Olympics. Rodchenkov's allegations were confirmed by the independent McLaren Report, leading to Russia's partial bans from the 2016 Summer Olympics and 2018 Winter Olympics. Since the revelations became public, Rodchenkov has been living in hiding, under witness protection.
Rodchenkov and his connections to Russian doping were the subject of the 2017 Netflix documentary Icarus, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 90th Oscars ceremony.
In 2023, the United States authorized the Rodchenkov Act which seeks to identify and sanction individuals involved in doping at major international sporting events if American companies are involved in sponsoring those events or the American financial system is utilized by the organizers.
Rodchenkov was born in Moscow. His mother worked as a doctor at Kremlin Hospital (now Central Clinical Hospital). Throughout school he was involved in athletics and during his studies he was a member of the MSU national team and met the standard of the Master of Sports in Athletics. Rodchenkov graduated from Moscow State University and received his PhD in chemistry with a focus on chemical kinetics and catalysis. In 1985, he started working at the Moscow Anti-Doping Centre. In 1986, he worked at the 1986 Goodwill Games in Moscow and co-discovered 14 positive samples, including those of sprinter Ben Johnson. However, the announcement was not made because the sports and party leaders of the USSR did not want to cause a scandal.
Rodchenkov later described the Soviet Union's state-sponsored doping program served as a model for Russia's program in the 21st century, with Vladimir Putin merely continuing what Joseph Stalin started. In 1994, he moved to Interlab. When he returned to Russia, he worked for different petrochemical companies.[failed verification] He joined the Anti-Doping Centre in Calgary for the 1988 Winter Olympics. From July 2006 until November 2015 he worked as the director of the Anti-Doping Center, then Russia's only laboratory accredited by WADA.
In 2011, Russian authorities opened an investigation against Rodchenkov's sister, champion runner Marina Rodchenkova, for buying and possessing banned drugs that she admitted she had intended to supply to athletes. Rodchenkov was also arrested in relation to this investigation and questioned on suspicion of sourcing and selling banned drugs. He was placed in a psychiatric hospital for schizotypal personality disorder following a suicide attempt after charges were filed against him. Charges against him were eventually dropped, but his sister was convicted in December 2012 and given a suspended sentence.
At the time, Rodchenkov was the director of Russia's national anti-doping laboratory. In June/July 2013, British journalist Nick Harris informed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and WADA about this criminal drug case and suspicions of Rodchenkov's involvement, but this information was apparently ignored. Rodchenkov claims he was not jailed by Russian authorities in 2012 because they had earmarked him to dope their athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.