The world of sports continues to be roiled by scandal and corruption. It now appears a group of activist businessmen and women have decided to take up one aspect of the fight. Reports indicate a group including “a venture capitalist, a former United States federal prosecutor, and a four-time Olympic speed skating gold medalist from Norway” have formed a non-profit foundation, Fair Sport to provide “assistance with a range of services, including housing, criminal defense, immigration applications and psychological counseling” to help minimize the risk of whistleblowers who speak out.
This new foundation will work in conjunction with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to solicit tips, screen information and refer tipsters for further investigation. This initiative evolved from the experiences of “Yuliya and Vitaly Stepanov, a married couple who first spoke out about systematic doping in Russian track and field, and Grigory Rodchenkov, the former director of Russia’s national antidoping laboratory, whose tell-all account of Russia’s government-ordered cheating had major ramifications for Russia’s athletes and the global antidoping system.” All are now living in hiding in the United States.
