Tipped off: Were Russian track athletes tracking the dope tests?

A report from the BBC claims the suspended Russian track athletes including world record holder and super-woman Yelena Soboleva received inside tip on the dates of dope testing.  Perhaps that's why the athletes peed scented pristine urine.

Seven Russian athletes provisionally suspended for doping offenses were tipped off ahead of visits from the testers, BBC Sport understands.

The International Association of Athletics Federations grew suspicious because the athletes were always available when the testers arrived.

Athletes are not normally immediately available for out-of-competition tests based on the whereabouts system.

"But the Russians were always waiting," said BBC Sport's Gordon Farquhar.

So, if you are too hard to find the IAAF becomes suspicious; if you are too easy to find the IAAF  becomes suspicious.  Cops are always cops.

Five of the seven - Yelena Soboleva, Tatyana Tomashova, Yulia Fomenko, Darya Pishchalnikova and Gulfiya Khanafeyeva - were bound for the Beijing Olympics but they will now not compete at the Games.

The other two athletes are Svetlana Cherkasova and Olga Yegorova.

And Farquahar added: "IAAF sources say they began investigating the seven suspended athletes when testers expressed surprise at their unfailing punctuality.

"The athletes have an hour to show up at the specified location and give a sample, but the Russian athletes were always ready.

"The IAAF sources also say the Russian Federation knew of the problem more than two weeks ago, and they're confident the suspected tip-offs haven't come from within their own organisation."

(more after the jump)

Appears officials and fans harbered suspicious about doping from the gang for quite some time.

And Farquahar added: "IAAF sources say they began investigating the seven suspended athletes when testers expressed surprise at their unfailing punctuality.

"The athletes have an hour to show up at the specified location and give a sample, but the Russian athletes were always ready.

"The IAAF sources also say the Russian Federation knew of the problem more than two weeks ago, and they're confident the suspected tip-offs haven't come from within their own organisation."

The athletes were targeted for more than a year after the testers became suspicious.

Russian Yegorova was booed on her way to claiming the 5,000m title at the World Championships in Edmonton in 2001.

She had tested positive for EPO but had been reinstated in the event on a technicality concerning the drugs test.

Before the heats for the women's 5,000m Paula Radcliffe and Great Britain team-mate Hayley Tullett held up a sign in the stands reading "EPO cheats out."

Comments

[check]

Do your research properly. That second picture is NOT the runner Yelena Soboleva.