Russian Federation says IAAF deflecting

The governing body suspended Russian Federation last week after it was accused by a World Anti-Doping Agency commission of operating an extensive state-backed doping program.

“The situation resembles kindergarten”, he said.

The Briton also said the “architecture of anti-doping” systems had failed the world’s track and field competitors and acknowledged a hard self-examination as he reflected on whether the sport could have approached the unfolding crisis more effectively.

“The corruption of anti-doping uncovered by the independent commission is a tragedy for sport and for clean athletes everywhere”.

The aftermath of decision on Friday night by the worldwide Association of Athletics Federations to provisionally suspend Russia has led to senior figures in the country and the president of the IOC confidently declaring that it would be back in time for Rio.

The allegations marked Russia’s biggest sporting scandal in decades and could cost it a place at next year’s Rio Olympics. The WADA budget comes in at around $26 million a year, funded half by the worldwide Olympic Committee and half by governments around the world.

On Tuesday, WADA temporarily removed its accreditation of Moscow’s anti-doping laboratory following a recommendation from the commission.

Anti-doping crusaders losing ground in the war on drugs in sport will meet this week to discuss dramatic new battle plans including a more robust role for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

The IAAF said in a statement to Press Association Sport: “We contacted the Japanese Athletics Federation yesterday and have today received a response stating that the athlete in question competed in error as they listed a regional affiliation of ARAF rather than ARAF”. “For me, this is pure speculation at this point”. “I welcome the fact that the ROC expressed its firm commitment to protect the clean athletes, and to sanction all the doped athletes and officials”, said Bach. “Personally I don’t think it has just been going on with Russian Federation but that’s for them to get out there and sort out”.

Clean athletes will be protected, Zhukov says, while the ROC will also “ensure the coordination of the already ongoing thorough investigation by the national authorities in Russian Federation with respective worldwide organisations, including WADA and the IAAF”. “I always had confidence in him and I have confidence in him”.