Sergei Ilyukov resigned from the Rusada government of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency. The attack on Ukraine initiated by the Russian administration was too much for a well-known research doctor.
Internationally acclaimed anti-doping expert, sports physician Sergei Ilyukov on Friday afternoon, he sent a message to his colleagues at the World Anti – Doping Agency in Wada and the Russian Anti – Doping Agency in Rusada saying he was leaving the Rusada government.
Iljukov from Lahti stated that he could not continue in Rusada’s service partly for personal reasons but above all because of the events in Ukraine.
– In Wada, my solution was understood. At the end of Rusada, I received positive messages from all board members and praise for my work, Iljukov tells Urheilu.
The solution can be considered tough, as it is an internationally significant task. Ilyukov was elected to the Rusada government as an impartial expert in December 2020. Behind Ilyukov’s election was the World Anti-Doping Agency Wada. Because of Russia’s doping scandals, Wada insisted that Rusada must have an impartial representative elected by the international community.
Iljukov, who performed the task mainly from Finland, says that the wash in Rusada was in many ways instructive and eye-opening. Above all, it showed how important a top sport is in Russian politics. According to Ilyukov, top sports are used for domestic political purposes to unite the nation and for foreign policy goals that represent so-called real politics.
Ilyukov does not want to be involved.
– I have received a lot of first-hand information from the front row of the VIP fence. I am increasingly aware that sport at the international level is very high on the agenda of the Russian state. I can only deduce it from who I have been dealing with, Ilyukov says.
– We did a lot in Rusada and took things in the right direction. However, I feel that in the current situation, I am also indirectly serving state interests that conflict with my own values.
Ilyukov says that no matter how he wants to keep sports and politics apart, the thinking does not apply to Russia.
– Sport is a very important means for the Russian state to promote its own political goals. It must be understood at the latest now, when considering sanctions, among other things.
Born in 1980 in Tallinn during the Soviet era, Iljukov, who held a number of international positions of trust, has closely followed the situation in Ukraine through the media in the West, Ukraine and Russia.
– They have different perspectives, which I would not go into in detail. However, my starting point is that there is no justification for military action.
– In practice, the same factors underlie the hostilities against Ukraine and Rusada. I simply do not want to deal with them or advance their cause, Ilyukov says, referring to the state leadership that dominates Russian sports and, consequently, anti-doping work.
What next?
Ilyukov admits he will leave big boots behind, but that is not decisive in the big picture.
– When you look at what is happening in the world and put things in perspective, I will not hesitate to make my decision for a moment. May it be my personal protest against hostilities.
However, the doctor, who has been active in anti-doping work for a dozen years, is pleased with his contribution to the development of anti-doping work in Russia. In Rusada, Ilyukov learned to work with diplomats, lawyers, and people close to the state, such as the ministry and representatives of the military intelligence service GRU, among others.
– It was interesting to get along with all these people. There was a certain exchange of views and even a twist. At least I wasn’t left with the feeling that I was an underdog, but I feel like I got my will through.
It was a very busy wash at times, for example during the recently concluded Beijing Winter Olympics. Rusada came into the international spotlight when Russia’s 15-year-old figure skating star Kamila Valijeva adhered to the use of the banned trimetazidine substance. It took a long time to deal with a complex and still badly pending case.
– The work was practically such that I called Moscow during the day, waited until the evening in North America and called there. Then the same again. It was about passing opinions from side to side and perceiving the big picture. It took a while to make the decisions, but I feel I can be very happy with my contribution.
Russia’s anti-doping work has been in a turmoil since the Sochi Olympics doping scandal. What does Rusada’s future look like? Ilyukov chooses his words carefully.
– We can build a good organization, but it is still part of a bigger system. Even if the organization is functional and complies with all international rules, it does not actually change the system itself. So I wouldn’t go talking about the organization when the system is what it is.
The sports doctor living in Lahti plans to return to his basic work and research in the future.
– This experience confirmed my opinion that with my own anti-doping research I can advance things on a much larger scale. It empowers to continue research work.