Russian doping scandal: Sex distorts results, says bigwig

Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko, a key figure in the country’s doping scandal, has said athletes’ sexual relations can cause distortions in test results.

Mutko, who was promoted from sports minister to deputy prime minister despite the international sports controversy, said “male DNA” lingers in female athletes for days after having sex.

In comments reported by Sport-Express, Mutko said Russians are unfairly punished and defend women athletes who had failed tests.

“One (athlete) can kiss a girl who has taken a drug. A foreign (athlete) is reinstated based on this while a Russian is punished.”

“And, you know, if you have sex five days before taking a doping test, they can find male DNA in you,” he was reported as saying.

The comments follow allegations in a December report by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren which said the Russian government organised a doping programme during and leading up to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games.

The report said two women’s ice hockey players whose samples were swapped had provided samples containing male DNA.

Canadian pole vault world champion Shawn Barber and French tennis star Richard Gasquet have both avoided punishment after blaming positive drugs tests for cocaine on kissing women who had ingested the banned substance.

Mutko again dismissed McLaren’s report, saying it does not prove state sponsored doping as “it was based on statements by one man… a manipulator,” referring to Grigory Rodchenkov, former director of the Moscow doping laboratory who became a key whistleblower.

Russia’s image in world sports has been severely tarnished by the scandal that saw the country’s athletics team and entire Paralympics squad excluded from the Rio Games last summer.

Moscow has consistently denied any government scheme to cheat its way to medal glory. It remains banned from international athletics however and the World Anti-Doping Agency says it remains a long way from compliance.

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