At the peak of an athlete’s pre-competition training, the hemoglobin levels in his or her blood will be at maximum capacity.  Hemoglobin is a protein within our blood that carries the oxygen around the body and to the muscles that are being used.  By extracting the hemoglobin rich blood at the heightened hemoglobin levels, the athletes are able to reinject the blood prior to competition in order to get maximum oxygen efficiency when it matters most.

Earlier this month, November 2015, the former president of the              World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Dick Pound, and others investigated the Moscow and Sochi athletic laboratories and their staff under the suspicion of destroying results. What they found was much worse than just the hiding of evidence. International sports lawyer, Robert McLaren believes that the results of the search shed light on “a different scale of corruption,” and went as far as to compare it to the scandal surrounding FIFA, which is dealing with more than just one country. When asked if the findings pointed towards state supported doping rather than on the coaching and trainer level, Mr. Pound replied that “there’s no other conclusion.”

There are a number of shocking findings that have surfaced as the investigation and discussion continues.  As previously noted, investigators confirmed that over 1,400 blood samples were intentionally destroyed after direct orders by WADA to preserve the samples. Lab staff admitted to being coerced and directly intimidated by Russian secret service agents known as the FSB leading to the suspicion of involvement on the national level. Furthermore, evidence suggests that even dating back prior to the 2012 Olympics, Russian athletes were given notice of testing dates and bullied or bribed officials to cover up missed tests.

While these findings seem extremely difficult to ignore, we must acknowledge that it is an investigation and it has not been proven that the destroyed blood was in fact “doped blood.” Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) Director Nikita Kamaev denounced WADA’s report as “unprofessional, illogical and declarative.” Vitaly Mutko, Russia’s sport minister, added that “Moscow’s anti-doping lab was recently recognized as one of the world’s best.”  While neither of these directly respond to the findings of coercion and bullying, it is important to understand that the investigation is still ongoing and much of it has been transferred to the international crime agency, Interpol.  Should the Russian athletes be found guilty, Dick Pound recommends that “the Russian Federation is suspended.”