Borowiak 1

Colin Borowiak

Dr. Kyburz

College writing

1:00-1:50

Look into Russian Anti-doping

In 2017 Brian Fogel released the documentary ICARUS, that detailed the demise of the

Russian federations doping labs as well as a look into doping in amateur sports. The film begins

in June of 2014 in Boulder, Colorado with Fogel prepping for the worlds hardest amateur cycling

race. The film then switches tune to show footage of Lance Armstrong, showing his interview

with Oprah where he confesses to doping and then going on the explain that he never failed a

drug test. The film then introduces Don Catlin, head of an anti-doping company, he was in

charge of testing Lance Armstrong, and he told film producers that he tested lance over 50 times

all results coming back clean, he also explained that beating the system was inherently easy. The

film then transitions back to Fogel and the haute route. The Haute route is an amateur cycling

race that has 440 competitors and seven uphill stages. Brian stated that his goal was to be top

fifty, after the seven stages he placed 14th, and he reported that there were ten guys ahead of him

that was on a different level and that where the experiment began. With the advice of Don Catlin;

Fogel started to get the drugs required to start a doping protocol.

Fogel met with doctor Scott Brandt who gave him the drugs, which were testosterone,

HGH (human growth hormone) and EPO. He was instructed to pinch the skin on his thigh and

slide the needle into the top of his leg to administer each of these drugs two times per day. Don

Catlin wanted out however he gave Fogel the contact information of Russian doctor Grigory
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Rodchenkov. He then got in contact with Grigory. Then he skyped Dr. Rodchenkov and

discussed the protocol that Dr. Brandt had prescribed him. Rodchenkov instructs Brian not to

insert the drugs into his thigh but into his buttocks. The film then transitions to show Brian

training for the haute route with trainer ben stone. Stone notes that through the administering of

the steroids that his performance has spiked fifteen to twenty percent already. Rodchenkov then

talks with Fogel again stating that he is a suitable protocol and the drugs he is being administered

are just right for what he is trying to accomplish.

The film then transitions to show a clip from the movie "how Russia makes its winners"

the excerpt from the film states that 99% of Russian athlete's dope. The film was based on the

Russian federations whistleblowers that decided to leak the allegations to the German press.

Brian Fogel then interviews Richard "Dick" Pound `he states that the allegations were so crazy

that they had to get the whistleblowers out of the country before they could let the story run.

There was then an independent commission put together to investigate the claims against Russia

and the track program. Fogel then skypes Ben Stone who is against everything that is going on

stating that he doesn't like the fact that Fogel is interacting with Rodchenkov. The words two

months of doping then scroll across the screen. Where Rodchenkov over skype says that it will

require two weeks for testosterone to leave his system. Rodchenkov then plans to come to the

United States to transport Brian's samples back. The film then goes into Rodchenkov's past; he

came to the united states in 1989 to help test athletes in an attempt to have peace with the

Soviets. He came to the united states and won the Santa Monica marathon. He began to dope to

keep up. His mother injected him with testosterone and other such drugs. He has since been in

the top lab's in the world in drug testing since 1985.

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The film then shows them organizing Brian's urine samples for safe shipment back to

Russia with Rodchenkov. At this point in the documentary, WADA is investigating the Russian

lab that Rodchenkov works at.

The words five months of doping scroll across the screen at this point, WADA is still

investigating Rodchenkov's lab. Fogel is testing again, and shows 20 percent more overall power

than what he had last year at the same time. Fogel is now four days away from the Haute Route.

The race claims that they have a doping policy however that was a falsified program. The race

then begins the next morning. The film shows multiple scenes of the race showing the terrain

that has to be biked over. After day one Fogel is only three minutes behind the leader. He is in

with some of the top amateur cyclists in the world. However, at this point in the race the shifter

on his bike breaks. He was not able to shift his gears for 100 km. He says he feels better, but he

still feels as if he cannot compete with the top ten guys. At the end of the race, Fogel places 27th,

thirteen places worse than the previous year.

The film then transitions to show Fogel going to Moscow on September second of 2015.

Where he meets up with Grigory, they then travel to the WADA lab in Moscow to see all of the

testing being done on his samples and the procedures that went on to test urine for steroids and

other things. Grigory says that their camera cannot be seen inside the testing facility. Every

WADA lab head like Grigory has to sign a code of ethics he then compares it to the George

Orwell novel 1984 saying. Once you are in you cannot get out. He then takes Fogel back to his

home where he says "ahhh I have vodka for you" this scene shows almost a normalcy to the

whole film it shows the human aspect of Rodchenkov and shows how he is a family man and

how he was having fun and relaxing at a large event.

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The film then shifts again to show Richard pound saying that the labs were being run

improperly and that for the labs to operate this way there had to be pressure from the state of

Russia. After the commission came out with this Fogel calls Rodchenkov and Rodchenkov stated

that he is scared and cannot talk at this time. The film then shows Nikita Kamaev who is the

director of the Russian anti-doping agency; he is shown in a press conference saying that they are

preparing a response to the findings and have no further comment. The film then shows multiple

news clips about what is going on anywhere from talking to Vitale Mutko to going to the WADA

lab in Moscow. Then the news report comes across that Rodchenkov's has resigned. Then Brian

skypes again with Rodchenkov, and he talks about his resignation as well as his meeting with

Mutko the previous day. Fogel asks if he is in danger and Rodchenkov responds with yes, but not

jail I am living with a security guard. Stating that he is the only man that can kill both sides

Russia and WADA. He says that Russia is deliberately lying and that he could be thrown under

the bus at any time even referring to himself as the Russian versions of Edward Snowden.

The film then shows Sebastian Coe the president of IAAF, saying that the committee

decided to suspend Russia from all events. The film shifts to Vladimir Putin's response to the

suspension stating that it is not fair to Russian athletes. Fogel then books an airplane ticket for

Ridchenkov to come to the United States, and how to manage his safe travel. The film reverts to

Brian’s previous interview with Richard Pound. They are talking about the viability of fair sport

now and how hard it will be to watch with certainty that sport is fair now. Once Rodchenkov

lands in the united states it shows him calling a lawyer and getting legal advice on how to release

his side of the story. The film then goes back to the interview with Don Catlin saying that the

KGB was hanging around the WADA lab. Showing a direct link between Putin and the Russian
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federations anti-doping program. The film then shows Grigory reading 1984 and how eye-

opening it was the like ignorance is power rolls across the screen.

The film then shows Brian interviewing Grigory, where he admits to knowing about the

entire program and knowing it was going on. Saying, of course, they cheated the Olympics

saying 30 athletes in Beijing cheated and 50 percent cheated in London, and the fact that Putin

knew about all of this because he pulled Rodchenkov from the Russian prison. He stated that he

was in prison because he tried to kill himself he was put in jail because he wanted to kill himself

by stabbing himself in the heart. He said they started administering him drugs in prison that took

him completely out of reality. They sent him to psychiatric clinic. He was put in with the worst

of the worst criminals. He was acting as a doctor from prison. He was invited to the 2012

Olympic games. He had full access to lab at London Olympic and how to beat the system. And

once he went to London Putin got the charges against him dropped for the work he did in

London.

The film then informs viewers that Kamev had a massive heart attack but Grigory says

that Russia killed him, that it wasn't a heart attack. He said he talked to him the day beforehand.

At this point he then says that he would report to Yuri, he would report to Mutko and Mutko

would report to Putin. A direct link back to the Russian head of state. The film then shows the

US district court giving Ridchenkov a subpoena. Ed Stier the head legal counsel for the film

explains the details of the subpoena. They then meet with a lawyer that has his face hidden and

they talk about the situation. They then decide whether to have him disclose the story, from May

fifth through the seventh they meet with the New York Times to break the story. The three days

following that he meets with the US district attorneys, not informing them that he met with the

New York Times.

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The film then shows the decision of Sochi for the Winter Olympics being hosted in

Russia. Rodchenkov said he could make the team clean in one month. Because Russia wanted to

show well at Sochi. The film then shows scenes of the opening ceremonies. Then reverting to the

interview stating that Russia changed samples from clean to dirty urine. And discussing how

they beat the ADAMS WADA bottle. Then Richard pound and Don Catlin talk about how the

entire collection and lab process works. How the A and B bottle are separated. The only to take

the cap off is if it is broken the B sample confirms the A sample. The FSB found a way to get the

caps off without breaking them so that they could be replaced with clean urine. They had a clean

sample of every state-sponsored athlete. Then he showed how they would transfer the b urines

so that they could put them through a hole in the wall and switch out the samples. They were in a

room with no recording equipment so no one could catch them the hole in the wall was covered

by a fake power outlet so that they could transfer everything." Everything was made clean, and

Putin was made happy" stated Rodchenkov.

Putin then began the war with Ukraine right after the Olympics both the Olympics and

the war shot Putin's approval rating up. Russia could not respond to what has been said about

everything, and the film shows Rodchenkov, worried about being arrested saying if he is sent

home Putin will kill him for sure. The film then shows the news breaking around the world.

Russia tries to obscure his reputation by stating that he was put in psychiatric ward. The Russian

government can and could intercept the calls involving Rodchenkov and his lawyers. Brian then

meets with WADA and IOC commissions, divulging information about all of the protocols as

well as what athletes in the Olympics and the Paralympics. After Vancouver, Russia did not want

to be embarrassed. Stating that there was never anti-doping in Russia. In June of 2016, the film

shows the IAAF president upholding the mandate to keep Russia out of the summer Olympics.
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Then showing the Russian track team being told that they will not be competing. The

independent WADA commission found the allegations to be true they found scuff marks on the

inside of the bottle getting a 100% confirmation that what Rodchenkov said was true. The film

then shows that WADA stated that all Russian athletes should be banned from the RIO

Olympics, Putin indicates that this is politically charged and has no basis for truth. Ridchenkov

had to go into a witness protection program; we find this out when he is on skype with his wife.

The film then shows Rodchenkov getting taken to the airport saying goodbye to Brian.

Then the IOC decided to allow Russia to compete despite WADA and the IAAF

recommendation to keep Russia out of the Olympics. The film then concludes by showing Lance

Armstrong as well as Putin and is narrated by Rodchenkov. The graphics are displayed on the

screen of the two sides with Rodchenkov depicted in the middle between bars looking like a fool

as he felt in prison. He has been put in protective custody due to the threats to his life from

Russia. He remains hidden in the united states. Then film then discuss the fallout of everything

that happened (Fogel, ICARUS).

Works Cited

Fogel, Brian, Director. ICARUS. Brian Fogel and Grigory Rodchenkov2017. Accessed
22 Jan. 2018.