Russian athletes may be tested for doping in Cuba

Russian athletes may be tested for doping in Cuba, Russian Anti-Doping Agency head Veronika Loginova said.

"We are in a very close dialogue with Cuba. Yes, it will be even more difficult to take [the samples] there, but it is yet another alternative and we will send samples and test our athletes for doping there if necessary," Loginova said at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum's session on improving legal mechanisms to protect rights in sports on Friday.

The absence of an accredited anti-doping laboratory is an impediment to doping tests in Russia, she said. "Accreditation is not the only current problem. A laboratory needs samples to test athletes for prohibited substances in full. Unfortunately, we cannot do that either, because of the sanctions," she said.

"As to the list of prohibited substances, we can test for certain substances only, certain prohibited substances, under the circumstances. This is why we are using the services of foreign laboratories," Loginova said.

The opening of a new laboratory or the reinstatement of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory should be discussed, given that the cost of taking samples to foreign laboratories grows every year, she said.

The test samples of BRICS Games participants were taken to a European laboratory, she said.

WADA revoked accreditation of the Moscow laboratory in 2015 after Russia was accused of maintaining a doping program.