Vladimir Leonov: ‘It is impossible to help the athletes now’
Universiade is on suspicion, cyclist Ilnur Zakarin's fight and speculations around the 2018 WC
What to do when President of Tatarstan is calling you to talk about such an important topic as the Olympic Games? To take the call, of course. It was the scenario of an online conference with the Ministry of Sport Vladimir Leonov that took place on 28 July. He managed to answer the questions asked by the editorial and readers about the doping scandal, the upcoming FIFA WC and youth affairs, take Rustam Minnikhanov's call and solved the problem connected with the participation of one of the Tatarstan athletes at the Games in Rio in real time mode.
A scandal on Olympic scale
The conversation with the Minister started with the main sports topic in the recent time – the scandal about Russian Olympic athletes. The Russians who were caught using doping were not allowed to participate in the Games, while the entire team of field and track athletics was disqualified. 'Unfortunately, I think now it is impossible to help the athletes now. Unfortunately, we lost the athletic national team of our country,' Leonov expressed his opinion.
He reminded track and field athletics is the most medal-intensive sports of the Games: We turned out in another boat at the Rio Games… Probably when the Games have finished, we will draw a corresponding conclusion. As a regional minister of sport, I suppose we should find out why it happened. Why do our athletes who had big chances to win were banned? We will check it out. <…> It is a shock, of course. Speaking Russian, we understand shock as a state when we can do nothing. All the athletes who were allowed to take part in the Olympiad will do it, those people who weren't – no'.
Tatarstan citizens in Rio
People who come from Tatarstan traditionally formed a part of the Olympic national team of Russia. Leonov told the very participation at the Games is a great success of 'the system, an athlete, its management, coach, region that he or she represents'.
16 athletes from Tatarstan were included in the list of the athletes of Russia. But not all of them will be able to participate in the Olympics. 'The most unpleasant moment of this kind' is connected with cyclist Ilnur Zakarin.
According to one of the clauses of the new protocol, any athlete who has ever been disqualified for doping won't go to the Olympics if his or her international sports federation doesn't allow.
Zakarin is in this situation. In 2008, being a junior athlete, he failed a dope test and faced a two-year disqualification. He was not accused of using doping after this case. So, now the authorities of Russia and Tatarstan are trying to get a permission for the celebrated cyclist for the Games. 'We are fighting, but there is a small chance,' Leonov noted.
Moreover, the viewers of the online conference could watch the process of this fight in real time mode. President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov called Leonov during the conference and gave him instructions. The Minister started to call Zakarin who did not answer the first call. The athlete probably was on his way. Going back to the studio, Leonov lively told: 'I have put the microphone on myself, you see. Friends, today we are working in real time mode. Everything coincides, according to Feng Shui!'
Accusation of doping use in the Universiade came as a bolt from the blue
A clause about Kazan was also mentioned in the report that has been presented these days as a result of the WADA investigation. Particularly it was told the Russian athletes' urine samples were replaced in the Universiade in 2013 and the 2015 FINA World Championships too.
'Tatarstan, Kazan, the Ministry of Sport organised these events here. We ran a kind of logistics. An accredited laboratory – RUSADA – was responsible for dope tests,' Vladimir Leonov explained. He also added they will have to find out: 'It was a statement without any foundation'.
<…> 'There were any queries during the preparation and the competitions. If the athletes who used doping participated in the competitions, it is not within our scope. We were the host city. It came as a bolt from the blue.' <…>
Tatarstan, Kazan, the Ministry of Sport organised these events here. We ran a kind of logistics. An accredited laboratory – RUSADA – was behind doping tests
A question about the IAAF World U20 Championships ended the questions about the doping scandal. This contest was to take place in Kazan in the summer 2016. But the all-Russian Athletics Federation's licence was revoked and the tournament was cancelled because of the situation of our field and track athletes.
Leonov explained this decision was taken according to the regulation. 'I won't say it drastically changed the course of events. <…> It was one of the many big competitions. It probably had been good if Tatarstan would have hosted it,' the Minister noted.
As for other appeals to ban Russia from hosting big international competitions, Vladimir Leonov noted that today all these appeals are just words and finger in the air. 'I think there will be some meeting after the Games where a decision will be taken. As for the general atmosphere, it is unpleasant, of course. We live in the Russian Federation, we are emotional. Nothing has changed in reality. People are training, we are preparing for competitions, so life did not stop.'
Speaking about the situation connected with the Russian national team, Leonov called it a 'mess'. 'No one has a clue of what is going on in fact. There is a pile of different statements, analysis, protocols and investigations <…> We will look to the future. Kazan was and is a sports city'.
WC 2018: according to the plan
Kazan is one of the most prepared cities for such a competition. First of all, it has experience in organising sports events. Secondly, the city has a developed logistic that was prepared by the Universiade that 'experienced' the 2015 FINA World Aquatics Championships.
Now the capital of Tatarstan is preparing to welcome the next FIFA delegation. They are to come on 2 August. According to Leonov, Kazan is like their home.
All works are carried out according to the plan. Four football pitches and four sports bases where national teams of the WC will accommodate and train are among new venues of the 2018 WC. 'We are constructing the pitches and reconstructing the bases. Today the construction works are taking place in Electron and Rubin bases,' the Minister explained.
There will appear new natural turf football pitches that correspond to all the international standards. It will be like the Kazan Arena pitch. A new turf was laid on the main site of the competition. It will be strengthened in August. The first football match at Kazan Arena will take place on 12 September.
All the pitches will belong to the city after the Mundial. So, Electron's pitch will be given to football and field hockey. Guys from an orphanage who live near Rubin will play on its pitch.
One more pitch will appear near Sviyaga Complex. There is a youth sports centre there. Innopolis will make its contribution. Together with the IT city, the Ministry of Sport of Tatarstan is going to open a football department there.