In November 2015, I escaped Russia determined to tell the world about my country’s doping program for Olympic athletes. As the former director of Russia’s antidoping center, I disclosed indisputable evidence of widespread, state-sanctioned cheating by my country, hoping this would lead to change.
But the expectation I once had for meaningful reform is beginning to fade. In recent weeks, news reports have strongly suggested that the World Antidoping Agency is trying to find a way to walk away from the findings of its own independent investigator, who identified over 1,000 Russian athletes at the Sochi Games and in other competitions who might have used performance-enhancing drugs.