Last year, the World Anti-Doping Agency, or WADA declared Russia out of compliance with the ban on performance- enhancing drugs. Unless Russia fixes the problem, their athletes could be barred from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. On Sounds Good, Todd Hatton speaks with Dr. Kalinski about how deep the "culture of cheating" runs.
In the decision, WADA cited a "deeply-rooted culture of cheating in Russian track and field," a conclusion drawn from the work of German journalist Hajo Seppelt, who broke the story in 2015. Seppelt was able to demonstrate that thanks to Dr. Michael Kalinski, the chair of Murray State's Applied Health Sciences Department.
A classified Soviet report
The document at the heart of this issue is a 1972 classified Soviet research report titled "Anabolic Steroids and Sport Capacity." This report effectively recommends performance enhancing drugs to Olympic athletes in order to boost performance and win medals, Dr. Kalinski says. He adds that this report is 42 years old and says while some may remember that the former Soviet Union was one of the greatest Olympic powers in the post WWII period (the clear winners of the 1972 Munich Olympics), only a few people have the key pre-requisite to answer the questions regarding their success - including himself among this group.
Someone must have direct knowledge of Soviet Union secrets, he sways. Even moreso, to be in possession of secret documents. The document he revealed in his research had a number on it implying that the government could trace these documents and request specific numbers should they feel a need. In the 1970s, he was directed by the vice president of research of the third largest institute of physical culture in the former Soviet Union to pass it along to other officials after signing off on it. He says he was the first who needed to read and sign the document and then implement the findings, but decided to keep it instead.
In context, a 1971, a joint Soviet/American symposium on sports biochemistry was held in Moscow and only one American scientist went to this event, where he stated that anabolic steroids don't work. This narrative continued in 1972 conferences, he says. However, secret research in the documents demonstrate the effect on human subjects, showing increased human performance.
Why he didn't pass it on or publish
As to why Dr. Kalinski didn't pass on the document, he says in his research on the endocrine system and epinephrine specifically, he understands the power of hormones - how too little or too many can cause negative effects on health. He felt it wasn't the right time to sign the document and give it to others.
Dr. Kalinksi says he also didn't feel it was right to publish his concern at the time because he was in fear of speaking out in the former Soviet Union. He says he didn't want to be imprisoned or suspended from his job. He says you'd never be allowed to continue as a professor or administrator in the area of sports science because you'd become a traitor. He says no one wanted to go to the Gulag, where 20 million Soviet citizens went. He had similar fears when immigrating to the United States, essentially coming in as an "unknown figure." He decided to establish himself as a scientist and teacher first.
Steroid use past and present
Leadership believed the Olympics bring exposure, prestige and national viability, Dr. Kalinksi asserts. The idea was to perpetuate the notion of being "the best country in the world." These decisions went up to the central committee, he adds. He references today's headlines of President Putin looking into current allegations revealed in a German television documentary, which Dr. Kalinski says is the biggest scandal in athletics.
Dr. Kalinski believes the documentary's assertion that Russia is doing the same thing as the Soviet Union regarding anabolic steroid use. He questions the actions of a Moscow lab involved in a cover up of doping tests and intentional destruction of over 1,400 test samples. He says it's an unacceptable example of country in a state of regression.
Since the release of this documentary, Dick Pound (former president of the World Anti-Doping Agency and current chairman of the Olympic Broadcasting Services), said Russia should be banned from the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Also, the Russian Athletic Federation has been provisionally suspended by the International Association of Athletic Federations from international competition including the Olympic games. Dr. Kalinski says there's no reason state-sponsored doping should be tolerated today.
Reflections
Dr. Kalinski says it's hard to answer the question if he feels he's been "proven right." It wasn't until he came to the United States and in communicating with American colleagues that he felt he was ready to release his information. In 2003, when he sent his presentation to the American College of Sports Medicine, they gave him a 90 minute presentation, one of the longest and most distinguished, which he says underscores the importance of this issue.
Now that he's at the end of his career, he feels like this report is not as important as if he'd published it 20 years earlier. He doesn't consider this his highest achievement - adding his publication history and honorary medals and doctorates - but a very small episode of his professional biography.
