Russian President Vladimir Putin Claims FBI Manipulated Doping Whistleblower

Russian President Vladimir Putin has recently accused the United States of manipulating a Russian anti-doping researcher who defected to the United States. The Russian defector has provided damning testimony and evidence of a systematic, state-sponsored doping program taking place in his homeland.

Grigory Rodchenkov, the former director of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) in Moscow, is currently in the United States Federal Witness Protection Program or Witness Security Program (WITSEC). Given that Rodchenkov has been granted such protection by the Department of Justice (DOJ), President Putin has previously called Rodchenkov a traitor to his country and is convinced that U.S. intelligence agencies, including the FBI and CIA, are exploiting Rodchenkov for political purposes.

“[Rodchenkov’s defection to the United States] is not a positive for us, it's a negative. It means he's under the control of American special services," Putin said. "What are they doing with him there? Are they giving him some kind of substances so that he says what's required? ...

"The scandal is being created ahead of the domestic political calendar. Whatever people say, I'm convinced, I just know this is the case."

Rodchenkov wasn’t merely a whistleblower who exposed state-sponsored doping in Russia. He was also the prime architect of its doping program and its strategies to avoid detection. As the RUSADA Director, Rodchenkov was ostensibly in charge of stopping athletes from doping. However, he used the position as a cover for his true purpose – to help Russian athletes get away with using steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs).

Rodchenko claimed that he created a secret steroid formula that allowed Russian athletes to successfully evade anti-doping controls. The formula was called “The Duchess Cocktail” and contained a steroid stack of three popular steroids – methenolone (Primobolan), oxandrolone (Anavar) and trenbolone. Small qnantities of these three steroids were mixed with alcohol in a precise ratio as a sublingual delivery method. Chivas-brand scotch was used for men and Martini vermouth was used for women.

Rodchenkov was the unexpected star of a documentary about Russian doping produced by American documentary filmmaker Bryan Fogel called “Icarus”. Fogel actually helped arrange Rodchenkov’s defection to the United States during the filming of Icarus. Rodchenkov laid out several of his allegations of Russian doping in the documentary.

President Putin has called the allegations “nonsense” from an enemy of the state who is currently under criminal investigation by Russian authorities.

Source:

Bieler, D. (December 14, 2017). Vladimir Putin suggests U.S. is manipulating key whistleblower on Russian doping. Retrieved from washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/12/14/vladimir-putin-suggests-u-s-is-manipulating-key-whistleblower-on-russian-doping/?utm_term=.6012419db0d2