Putin calls for investigation into doping allegations

“It is essential that we conduct our own internal investigation and provide the most open – and I want to underline – the most open professional cooperation with worldwide anti-doping structures”, Putin said following a meeting of Russia’s top sports officials.

Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russian Federation must “do everything” to eradicate doping, ordering an inquiry into allegations of major drug abuse in athletics that have left the country facing worldwide isolation.

Mutko described as “absurd” calls by Football Association chairman Greg Dyke for his membership of FIFA’s executive committee to be reviewed in light of the WADA report.

If Russian Federation is banned from competing in Rio, as many are urging, it will be a huge blow to the country and the Putin government, which spent $51 billion to host the Sochi Winter Olympics a year ago.

Mutko said that although he believed the goal of the anti-doping scandal was to weaken competition from Russian athletes, Moscow was ready to cooperate with global bodies. The suspension would have to be confirmed by a disciplinary panel which could see the country banned until it can prove its anti-doping programme is working properly.

“We’ve got a problem with doping”, Mikhail Butov, the Russian athletics federation’s secretary general, admitted to the BBC. “It’s about protecting the athletes with clean consciences”.

“The acting director of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory Grigory Rodchenkov announced his resignation”, an aide to Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.

“Now we have this enquiry about athletics, the worldwide federation will draw its conclusion and will take the necessary measures”.

Diack served as president of the IAAF from 1999 until August this year when he was succeeded by Sebastian Coe.

“Of course this is a hard time for sport, and as sports people we at Fina are shocked and saddened by Wada’s Independent Commission report”, said Fina president Julio Maglione.

“Practically every day, at the end of the day, we release a few kind of information message about the steps we’re taking and we will continue to do that”, Mutko said.

Diack had been provisionally suspended by the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday evening.

“The position of the special commission on doping with regards to Russian athletes looks extremely biased, politicized”, ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in her weekly briefing, adding that sources cited in the report seem “extremely doubtful”. The plane carrying the sports officials was forced to land in the city of Mineralnye Vody, where they instead arranged a meeting with Russian Olympic Committee president Alexander Zhukov.