Ex-Russian anti-doping chief dies of ‘heart attack’ 2 months after scandal breaks

The former chief of Russia’s anti-doping agency (RUSADA) Nikita Kamayev has died two months after resigning his post, the Tass news agency has reported. The report, citing the former general director of the scandal-hit agency Ramil Khabriev, said Kamayev’s death at 52 had “presumably” been caused by a heart attack. “It looks like an extensive infraction,” it quoted Khabriev as saying. In November, an explosive report by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had accused various athletes and sports officials of state-backed doping abuse and revealed how potentially incriminating blood samples had been systematically destroyed before inspectors could seize them.

He complained of heart ache after a skiing session. He has never complained about heart problems, at least to me. Maybe his wife knew about such problems.

Former colleague Ramil Khabriev

Russia was suspended from international athletics last November after a special commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency exposed widespread state-sponsored cheating and corruption. Kamayev and Khabriev stood down from their positions along with the rest of the senior RUSADA management in mid-December as Russia began working on lifting the ban in time for its athletes to compete at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August.

doping Russia