Athletics doping: Russia to learn competition fate

Sky News understands that the Russian sports ministry has also begun lobbying contacts within the worldwide Olympic Committee and other bodies to try to reduce the risk of a full ban. “That means to protect clean athletes”, he said. “We are all on the same page”, Svein Arne Hansen, the president of European Athletics, told Britain’s Daily Telegraph.

Mikhail Butov, Russia’s IAAF council member, obstained from the vote, but did participate in the teleconference.

Coe said that it is “entirely up to Russian Federation to make changes” and the “message could not be stronger”.

The report recommended suspending the Russian federation until a “new framework” was in place.

Speaking to the AP, Mutko added: “Our reaction is calm. We didn’t expect anything else”, and that the suspension could be lifted in time for the world indoor championships in Portland, Oregon, in March.

Bach told reporters in Lausanne, Switzerland, that “the IAAF has informed us they will take the necessary measures”.

The global Athletic Associations Federation (IAAF) has provisionally suspended Russia’s track and field federation (ARAF) for an indefinite period.

The vote was 22-1.

During its 11-month investigation, the WADA commission found Russian Federation had interfered with testing, destroyed samples and covered up positive tests.

The committee’s findings will go to the WADA foundation board, which will vote on it at its meeting next Wednesday.

Sports are a substantial piece of Russia’s self-esteem – both in athletes’ performances and its ability to host enormous worldwide events.

Earlier this week Coe said “rogue elements” may have infiltrated the IAAF, but Rooney – who led Team GB in Beijing this summer – has questioned how much Coe knew.

Today’s ruling applies only to track and field athletes.

The cheating was labelled “state-run” by Dick Pound, chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s independent commission, which spent 11 months investigating allegations first aired on German TV.

Yelena Isinbayeva – the pole vault world record holder and one of Russia’s most decorated athletes – wrote an open letter before Friday’s IAAF meeting.

“All my victories are honest, “clean” and deserved”, she continued.

“Sportsmen who don’t dope and never have must not answer for those who break the rules”.

“The situation around the Russian athletics team is very sad”.

“I think what will come out is that there will be given targets for the Russians to meet, and I’m pretty sure there Russians will be in Rio”.

The threat to Russian Federation being excluded from next year’s Olympics in Rio appears to have receded, however.

Lord Coe was under heavy pressure to take firm action, despite efforts by Russian officials to avoid a ban by agreeing to cooperate and reform their anti-doping system. Top Russian agencies and officials, including Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, are accused of complicity in the scandal.

WADA confirmed it had provisionally suspended the Moscow laboratory at the centre of the controversy and initiated the process which will assess the compliance of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency.