According to media reports, in October Mashkova traveled to St. Petersburg for a three-day Eurasian Women’s Forum, where participants discussed the global mission of women in a new reality. But Ksenia forgot to arrange a business trip, so the authorities perceived the absence as absenteeism and decided to dismiss her under the article for a single gross violation of duties.
Ksenia Mashkova was removed from the list of deputy ministers on the website of the Ministry of Sports very quickly. Nevertheless, her biographical information has been preserved on this information resource. Ksenia Mashkova was born on April 27, 1989. Graduated from the Moscow State Law Academy named after O.E. Kutafina (Moscow State Law Academy) with a degree in jurisprudence, candidate of legal sciences. From 2009 to 2016 she worked in legal services of commercial organizations. Since 2017, she held the position of head of the Scientific and Expert Center for Sports Law of the Moscow State Law Academy. She is also the author of 19 scientific articles and scientific and methodological works on sports law, participated in the implementation of research works and the preparation of expert and analytical studies in the field of sports law and legislation.
Mashkova’s responsibilities included overseeing legislative issues, performing functions related to normative legal regulation. She was also responsible for the interaction of the ministry with the chambers of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.
On the Internet, this meager information is supplemented by the following details. According to the telegram channel “May Decree”, Mashkova entered the Moscow State Law Academy in 2006, where she was quickly noticed. Already at the age of 25, she successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis at her home university on the topic “Execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in civil and arbitration proceedings.” The scientific advisor was “candidate of legal sciences, honored lawyer of the Russian Federation Viktor Vladimirovich Blazheev”.
After that, before being appointed to the Ministry of Sports, Xenia’s career was inextricably linked with the academy and sports law. At the age of 28, she was already the head of the sports law center of the Moscow State Law Academy, and then the head of the international cooperation department of one of the largest universities in the country.
Even before starting her work in the department of Matytsin, Mashkova actively spoke out about doping and RUSADA.
On December 26, 2019, in an interview with the Moscow City News Agency, the then director of the Scientific Expert Center for Sports Law of the Moscow State Law University. O. Kutafina Ksenia Mashkova stated that RUSADA has real prospects within the framework of the process in CAS, connected, at least, in order to successfully challenge most of the consequences, the decision on the application of which was unlawfully taken by WADA outside its competence.
Such consequences, according to her, in particular, included restrictions on representatives of the state, the Russian flag and representatives of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). Also vulnerable from a legal point of view were the proposed WADA restrictions on the participation of Russian athletes in competitions, including the individual admission system. At the same time, the participation of the ROC in the litigation as a third interested party, according to Mashkova, could provide a more comprehensive protection of Russian athletes and Russian sports in general.
It is well known how the CAS saga ended. Russian athletes can take part in major international competitions, but without the flag and anthem. Also, for the duration of the sanctions, Russia has no right to host major competitions. This will be the case at the Beijing Winter Olympics as well.
Nevertheless, the CAS decision did not shake the confidence of the State Secretary of the Russian Ministry of Sports.
On April 29, 2021, within the framework of Sport Forum Live, a session was held “Lawyer in the field of sports: Mechanisms for protecting the rights of athletes”, organized by the Russian Lawyers Association.
The moderator was the rector of the Moscow State Law Academy. O.E. Kutafina, co-chairman of the AYR Viktor Blazheev and Ksenia Mashkova at this session spoke about the activities of the Ministry of Sports in the field of legal protection of athletes.
A month later, at the end of May 2021, at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum as part of the session “Sports Law in Russia and the World: Topical Issues”
Mashkova announced a draft law that is being prepared, which is aimed at protecting athletes and the integrity of competitions in traditional Russian sports, for example, in hockey.
“It is very important to keep your finger on the pulse. We all understand that the political situation is not very simple, especially in the anti-doping area. For our part, we are doing everything possible to maximally protect the interests of Russian athletes and Russian sports in general, ”Mashkova said.
In early September 2021, Kazan hosted the Russia – Country of Sports forum, in which Mashkova also took part. In particular, she acted as a speaker at the round table “Sports Arbitration. Access of athletes to justice ”, which was again moderated by the rector of the Moscow State University of Law. OE Kutafina (Moscow State Law Academy) “Victor Blazheev.
Oleg Matytsin, the direct superior of Mashkova, the Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation, has repeatedly spoken about the protection of the rights of our athletes. So, on August 9, 2021, on the air of the Russia 24 TV channel, he spoke about the scandalous situation that arose in rhythmic gymnastics at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
“The circumstances that have developed in rhythmic gymnastics make us think about the need to be more active in protecting our interests,” said Matytsin. “I am absolutely sure that the appeal of the Russian Olympic Committee to the International Gymnastics Federation will be properly received, and we will receive the necessary explanations.”
The following facts can be added to the above.
On the same day with the dismissal of Mashkova, the World Athletics Congress (International Association of Athletics Federations) prolonged the dismissal of the All-Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF). As reported by “MK”, 126 delegates to the Congress voted to extend the disqualification of ARAF. 34 representatives of national athletics federations abstained and 18 opposed the extension.
Earlier on Wednesday, the World Athletics Congress received a recommendation from the organization’s board to extend ARAF’s suspension until all conditions for recovery are met.
Recall that ARAF in November 2015 was deprived of membership in the World Athletics amid a doping scandal. Therefore, Russian athletes can participate in international competitions only after receiving the status of a neutral athlete from World Athletics. In 2020, none of the Russians received admission from the international federation due to the late payment of the fine in the case of the high jumper Danil Lysenko. In the summer, the money was transferred to the international federation.
The following fact is also interesting.
On October 9, 2021, the WADA executive committee adopted the recommendation of the disciplinary committee to cancel the “approved” status for the Moscow laboratory for testing blood of athletes. In a statement, WADA noted that such a decision was made due to the laboratory’s non-compliance with the international standard for laboratories and its code of ethics. RUSADA has the right to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
It is noteworthy that three days earlier, some members and chairman were replaced in the supervisory board of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency. At the same time, instead of Tamara Shashikhina, director of the MGIMO European Training Institute, who decided to leave the post, Natalya Sokolova, head of the International Law Department of the Moscow State Law Academy, was elected chairman. The same legal academy where she studied and then worked for the now former Deputy Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation, Secretary of State Ksenia Mashkova.
The appointment of the new Deputy Minister of Sports, Oleg Matytsin, will most likely be announced in the near future.
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