THE RODCHENKOV AFFAIR, a first-person account from the doctor at the heart of Russia’s state-sponsored doping programme, has won the prestigious William Hill Sports Book of the Year award for 2020.
The book, written by Dr Grigory Rodchenkov — familiar to many from the critically-acclaimed documentary Icarus — was announced as this year’s winner on Thursday afternoon.
It topped a five-book shortlist which also included Ruqsana Begum’s Born Fighter; The World Beneath Their Feet by Scott Ellsworth; Ashley Grey’s The Unforgiven; and The Breath of Sadness: On Love, Grief and Cricket by Ian Ridley.
Rodchenkov’s prize is £30,000 and a leather-bound copy of his book, while each of the shortlisted authors will receive £3,000 and a leather-bound copy of their book.
Publishers Penguin describe The Rodchenkov Affair as “the full, unadulterated story that was first glimpsed in Bryan Fogel’s award-winning documentary and still continues to captivate and shock the world” and a “breathtakingly candid journey [which] reveals a rigged system of flawed individuals, brazen deceit and impossible moral choices”.
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Lovely article and spells out the beauty and brilliance of competitive games…..hoping for a cracking championship….good luck to the players