Dmitry Vasiliev, a two time Olympic biathlon champion, questions the sanctions imposed by the World Anti Doping Agency on France regarding legal betting. He expresses doubt that WADA will actually sanction France, describing the organization as one that acts only under certain orders and claiming that Russian athletes face injustice and misinformation from the body.
Vasiliev argues that trust in WADA would grow only if France faced consequences comparable to those faced by Russia. He suggests a double standard has dominated the conversation around doping measures and sports integrity.
In July 2023, WADA reportedly wrote to the French Anti Doping Agency to express concern about the handling of three unnamed doping cases. The agency was accused of not pursuing violators with sufficient rigor and was warned that sanctions could follow if improvements were not made.
WADA warned about potential actions that could target French athletes by restricting participation in international competitions and limiting France from hosting events, including the Paris 2024 Games.
Meanwhile, past Russian fencers failed to qualify for the 2024 Olympics due to eligibility issues tied to broader anti doping regulations and participation questions that mirrored the ongoing global debate about fairness and enforcement in sport.