1. Doping Central

Bloodsport is the story of the systematic doping of the 2012 and
2014 Olympics by the Russian state, its subsequent unmasking and
the ongoing fall out amidst the power play of nation against
nation. The Evening Standard's sports correspondent Matt Majendie
tells the whole story from 2012 till now.


Episode 1 takes us inside the war between dopers and testers at
the London games. We’ll also meet key whistle-blowers Vitali and
Julia Stepanov - currently in hiding in the US - and we’ll get
our first glimpse of the mastermind behind the whole scandal. Dr
Grigory Rodchenkov.


For the first time, you’ll hear the whole story from 2012 to 2020
told by the people who were there. You’ll hear from Paula
Radcliffe and Sebastian Coe on London 2012, you’ll meet the
expert German investigator who cracked the case wide open and
from athletes who doped. We’ve got access to the elite Swiss lab
racing to finish testing London 2012 samples and we’ve spoken to
the guy who masterminded doping control at the London games.


You’ll also hear first-hand testimony from people who blew the
whistle inside Russia (at the risk of their own lives) and from
seasoned journalists who watched open-mouthed as the whole thing
unfolded. And we’ll take you into the ongoing arms race between
doper and tester, to see how the science of testing plays out in
the analysis of blood and urine samples.


Despite it being eight years ago, the story isn’t over. There are
unfinished corruption trials in French Courts and ongoing
allegations of flagrant Russian cheating (even as the Russian
government denies all the evidence). Against all this is the
soon-to-be pressing question of whether Russia will participate
in the now postponed Tokyo Olympics. The credibility of the
Olympic movement might hang on the decision. The clock is
ticking.