Nikita Kamaev Dead: Ex-RUSADA Executive Director Dies of Massive Heart Attack

Russia’s anti-doping ex-chief Nikita Kamaev has died, the RUSADA agency says.

Nikita Kamaev’s death comes two months after he resigned his post following a doping scandal in Russian athletics.

RUSADA said Nikita Kamaev’s cause of death was “a massive heart attack”.

Russia was suspended from international athletics last November. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accused Russian athletics of state-backed doping, corruption and extortion.

“He will remain in our memories as an experienced and understanding leader, distinguished by his high professionalism,” the RUSADA statement said, adding that Nikita Kamaev was able to create a “friendly atmosphere” in his team.

Photo AP

“He complained of heartache after a skiing session,” RUSADA’s former director general Ramil Khabriev was quoted as saying by Russia’s Tass news agency.

“He had never complained about heart problems, at least to me. Maybe his wife knew about such problems.”

Russia was provisionally suspended from international athletics, including the Olympic Games, in November by the International Association of Athletic Associations (IAAF).

The IAAF took action following the WADA report.

The suspension will remain in place until Russia convinces athletics authorities it has sufficiently changed its practices.

Along with Argentina, Ukraine, Bolivia, Andorra and Israel, Russia was deemed in breach of Wada codes.

RUSADA was prohibited from carrying out any WADA-related anti-doping activity.

Nikita Kamaev resigned from RUSADA in December 2015 along with all the organization’s other top executives as Russia began work on lifting the ban in time for its athletes to compete at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August.