PtG Article 13.10.2019

Russian whistleblower: “The fight is not over yet”

Yuliya Stepanova became famous for exposing the Russian state doping scandal. Today, she attended the opening of Play the Games’ conference in Colorado Springs with her husband Vitaly Stepanov.

Almost seven years has passed since the Russian 800 meter runner Yuliya Stepanova first began to speak out about the doping problems in her home country. Although a lot has changed since then, the former world class athlete is still struggling with the consequences of blowing the whistle and telling the world that she was part of the doping culture in Russian sport.

Yuliya Stepanova has not seen her family since she fled Russia in late 2014 together with her husband Vitaly Stepanov and helped the German television station ARD expose the Russian state doping scandal that is still investigated by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

“But I do not regret anything”, the Russian athlete told Play the Game after attending the opening of its first conference outside of Europe.

In her opening speech at Play the Game’s conference in Colorado Springs, Yuliya Stepanova said she would like to apologise for her past:

“Unfortunately, I cannot change my past. I was in the Russian doping system, I cheated and now I am talking about it. I regret not speaking up sooner, but I’m grateful to the WADA Code for giving athletes a second chance.”

“Please, stop making deals”

The Russian whistleblower also said athletes that cheat believe they can get away with it and that this belief was put in her head by the people that surrounded her – Russian coaches, sports officials, police and athletes.

“Coaches and sports officials were telling me that athletes from all other countries dope and that doping is a hidden part of athletics. Well, their belief came from somewhere. Most likely from the fact, that they were able to get away with cheating in the past,” she noted.

“So, those that run and govern sports, please, stop making deals that allow to cover up doping use and make adults believe that they can get away with cheating, and then younger generations of athletes will stop hearing that cheating is the only way to reach the top.”

According to Yuliya Stepanova, in her case there was no way to escape the Russian doping system if she wanted to compete internationally:

“The top Russian athletics officials were selecting up to five athletes in each running event that were untouchable and could dope throughout the preparation process and during the National Championship,” she said and explained why it was difficult for her to say no.

“The Russian ministry of sports made sure that the Russian anti-doping agency and the Russian anti-doping lab allowed doping for the chosen ones. Only the existence of an ethical system that follows rules could have prevented me from doping. The Russian athletes did not have it when I was a part of the doping system.”

“Rules do matter”

Today, the young couple is surprised how far they have gone since raising their concerns about the doping situation in Russia.

“We were not able to find much support inside of Russia, but we are happy to see that most Russian sports officials were not right. Not every country’s goal is to cover up doping use by athletes of their own country. In fact, rules do matter, and ethics matters in sport,” Yuliya Stepanova said and thanked the conference for recognising her and her husband’s efforts.

“Two years ago, we were honoured to receive the Play the Game award from you. We are glad that the situation in Russia is being discussed globally and we feel that the fight is still not over yet and we are thanking you for your support. The best part for us over the past few years was to learn that there are people that care about fair competition, we just wish those people were louder and stronger, because clean athletes need to see it and feel it.”

“I’ll do it any day”

Her speech was followed up by Vitaly Stepanov, a former anti-doping assistant in Russia, who in February 2013 convinced his wife that going public was the right thing to do:

“I believe in Olympic values and ideals because…I just do. And I really do not like people that try to destroy those values and ideals. So, I do not like those that try to cheat their way to Olympic glory. If my actions helped in any way talented, honest, clean athletes from around the world, I am satisfied. And if it means going against corrupt people with messed up priorities from the country where I was born, I’ll do it any day,” he said while also thanking the conference for discussing the difficult topics that sports face and the many people outside of Russia that has supported him and his family:

“In a summary of my whistleblowing experience, I would say that 2/3 is positive and 1/3 is not so positive. And I would like to thank everyone who helped us in the past five years. You made it all worthwhile. We did not expect it, but we really appreciate it”.

“Public distrust”

As a result of the Russian state doping case, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) two years ago established an independent Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU). According to the chairman of AIU, David Howman, more sports should have their own independent investigations of similar attacks against sports integrity instead of just waiting for the police to investigate, and not just in relation to doping but also corruption and match-fixing.

“We have had the fallout from the Russian doping reports and subsequent follow-ups. Athletics, biathlon being two mentioned sports, but many more are likely to be exposed when all the data from the Moscow laboratory is publicly released. We have had governance issues in several international federations. Boxing, biathlon, gymnastics, handball. We have had reputational damage. We have had athlete rebellion and public distrust,” Howman said while mentioning a long list of sports scandals from the latest decade:

“Is that what the athletes expect from their leaders? Should they not be dealt with like athletes are when subjected to alleged rule breaches? What about the public, will they ever know the truth? Best practice might now be to emulate the AIU, operate with proper scrutiny, as soon as possible, recognising legal rights but delivering to athletes and the public the right outcomes for the right reasons and thereby protecting the integrity of sport. Open eyes, don’t be blindfolded.”

Other news from Play the Game 2019

PtG Article 20.02.2020
Massive backing from participants to the first Play the Game conference outside Europe
Erin Willson
PtG Article 25.10.2019
The struggle for safe sport in Canada: one step forward, two steps back
Anas Anas presenting at conference
PtG Article 24.10.2019
Sports betting: What are the odds on a fix?
Nikki Dryden
PtG Article 16.10.2019
Athlete activism: defending the right to protest
Conference speakers
PtG Article 16.10.2019
The great doping battle
Nancy Hogshead-Makar
PtG Article 16.10.2019
Nancy Hogshead-Makar receives the Play the Game Award 2019
PtG Article 16.10.2019
Play the Game 2019 on tour to USOPC training hub
PtG Article 16.10.2019
NCAA must strive to benefit student athletes
PtG Comment 16.10.2019
IAAF shares viewpoints on Semenya after Play the Game 2019 debate
PtG Comment 16.10.2019
Open letter to IOC President Thomas Bach from athlete organisations
PtG Article 15.10.2019
What it means to blow the whistle
PtG Article 15.10.2019
The role of team doctors in professional sport
PtG Article 15.10.2019
Tackling threats to grassroots sport
PtG Article 15.10.2019
Broken Trust premieres at Play the Game 2019
PtG Article 15.10.2019
The U.S. questions how to measure good governance in sport
PtG Article 15.10.2019
Whistleblowing: Minimising the risks
PtG Article 15.10.2019
Doping decisions: In pursuit of uniform sentencing
PtG Article 14.10.2019
Interview with David Howman
PtG Article 14.10.2019
Interview with Linda Helleland
PtG Article 14.10.2019
Athletes must be heard
PtG Article 14.10.2019
Good Governance: Just another buzz phrase?
PtG Article 14.10.2019
Will the Sports Governance Observer bring changes to world sport?
PtG Comment 14.10.2019
New standards of sports governance: When will sport join the modern world in embracing democracy?
PtG Comment 14.10.2019
Good governance – the new sport mantra
PtG Article 13.10.2019
Sport: A safe haven for athletes?
PtG Article 13.10.2019
Interview with Yuliya and Vitaly Stepanov
PtG Article 13.10.2019
Athletes' voices: breakthrough or breakdown?
PtG Article 13.10.2019
Time’s up: Athlete power on the rise!
PtG Comment 13.10.2019
Athlete activism: An omen for sport in the 2020's?
Børn spiller fodbold
PtG Article 08.10.2019
The global challenge of growing sports

Related articles

The Stepanovs at Play the Game conference in 2019
PtG Article 04.04.2024
Ten years of trouble for a whistleblower couple on the run from Russian retribution
Faraz Shahlaei
PtG Article 20.02.2024
The Russian doping scandal has exposed the weaknesses in the international anti-doping structure
Panel on match-fixing
PtG Article 05.02.2024
Money spent on investigating match-fixing cases would be better spent on education
Putin at the football World Cup finale in 2018
PtG Article 30.10.2023
Pride and propaganda: Russia’s reimagined sports world
PtG Comment 27.03.2023
Coe and Bach: United in history, divided by history
Panel at Play the Game 2022.
PtG Article 27.06.2022
Russian sanctions unlikely to herald a new era of accountability
Man presenting at conference
PtG Article 27.06.2022
Saudi Arabia is filling the vacuum after Russia in a year of sportswashing
Stanislav Pozdnyakov
PtG Article 05.04.2022
Most Olympic federations suspend Russian athletes, but officials go free
  Man betting on football
PtG Article 23.03.2022
Russian betting companies continue to sponsor football clubs after invasion
PtG Analysis 19.01.2022
The political power of the Olympic opening ceremony: Lessons from Beijing and Sochi
Yulia and Vitaly Stepanov
PtG Article 28.04.2021
Whistleblowers call on the UN to close human rights gap in sport
Yuriy Ganus
PtG Article 19.01.2021
The character assassination of an anti-doping advocate
Russia at the Olympics opening ceremony
PtG Opinion 18.12.2020
CAS on Russia: WADA won the battle, but lost the power to push victory through
Bonita Mersiades
PtG Article 09.08.2020
Australian football executives sue FIFA whistleblower
Stadium
PtG Opinion 02.03.2020
Football Leaks raises many questions – also for the media
PtG Article 15.10.2019
What it means to blow the whistle
PtG Article 15.10.2019
Whistleblowing: Minimising the risks
PtG Article 13.10.2019
Interview with Yuliya and Vitaly Stepanov
Putin
PtG Comment 23.10.2018
Putin’s use of sporting events as a domestic policy tool
PtG Comment 08.10.2018
A cautious game: Protesting mega-events in Russia
PtG Comment 16.03.2018
The Sochi Games was just a copy of the Moscow Games
PtG Comment 13.02.2018
Dancing on Ice: Russia, Hockey, and Soft Power
The Stepanovs and Hajo Seppelt
PtG Article 29.11.2017
The Stepanovs and Hajo Seppelt receive the Play the Game Award
Bobsleigh at Sochi 2014
PtG Comment 19.11.2015
After Sochi 2014: Costs and impacts of Russia’s Olympic Games
PtG Comment 13.08.2013
For your eyes only
Mario Goijman and Laura Robinson
PtG Article 10.11.2005
Mario Goijman receives Play the Game Award
Hockey
PtG Article 12.11.2002
The Russian Mafia and hockey