This has emerged in the body's newly-published terms of reference, which also identify its third member as Günter Younger, head of department cybercrime with the Bavarian Landeskriminalamt, a German regional criminal police office.

Younger will serve alongside Commission chair Richard Pound, former President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and Professor Richard McLaren, a Canadian legal counsel with extensive experience on the ad hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The succinct, two-page terms of reference state that the Commission's report will be handed to current WADA President Sir Craig Reedie by December 31 "at the latest, unless the WADA President deems it appropriate to extend the mandate".

The report is to be published in full by WADA, with the terms of reference noting: "should this publication not be done within 30 days of the receipt of the report by WADA, the [Commission] is entitled to publish the report itself".

Commission decisions will require unanimity.

The wording of the document suggests, meanwhile, that WADA itself will do most of the information-gathering.

It said: "In principle, the [Commission] is also able to obtain information on its own initiative, including interviews with persons of interest.

"This however will be the exception and will be coordinated with WADA to avoid duplication."

Vitaly Mutko has said WADA officials have taken around 3,000 samples from athletes for analysis ©Getty Images


Vitaly Mutko, Russia's Sports Minister, revealed last month that WADA officials had taken around 3,000 samples from athletes for analysis.

The terms of reference - which may be consulted here - set four objectives for the Commission.

They are to establish whether:

● There have been any breaches of processes or rules by any signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code, including but not limited to the Russian Anti-Doping Agency and the International Association of Athletics Federations.

● There has been any breach of the International Standard for Laboratories (ISL) by any accredited laboratory, including the one in Moscow.

● There have been any breaches of anti-doping rules by athletes, coaches, trainers, doctors and other members of any athlete entourage.

● There is sufficient evidence that might lead to sanction processes pursued under the World Anti-Doping Code against any individual or organisation.

Allegations of widespread, systematised doping in Russia were aired last month in a series of documentaries broadcast by German broadcaster ARD.

The allegations have been strongly denied by Russia's Athletics Federation; one coach, Vladimir Kazarin, has claimed he is suing the programme-maker.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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