Putin May Discuss Doping Scandal With Russia’s Olympic Authorities

Russian secret service agents infiltrated and spied on Moscow’s WADA-accredited laboratory during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. “At least a few information will be provided by Russian Sports Minister [Vitaly] Mutko”, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday when asked whether the issue of doping allegations would be discussed in the meeting, according to TASS.

A Moscow laboratory used for doping tests has stopped operating after its accreditation was suspended by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the head of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, Nikita Kamaev, said on Tuesday. It would prevent Russian athletes from taking part in Olympic Games and worldwide championships.

“We (the athletes) have worked hard for years, we’ve risked our health to win medals, while Balakhnichev and Melnikov profited from our hard work”, Shobukhova said.

Australia has backed a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) recommendation that Russian Federation be banned from global athletics, including the 2016 Olympics, after a report alleged systemic state-backed cheating.

In a statement Monday, IAAF President Sebastian Coe said he urged his executive council to begin considering sanctions against the All-Russian Athletics Federation, its national track-and-field governing body.

After the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) dropped its bombshell report about doping in Russian track and field, a US Olympian that competed against the athletes implicated in the scandal is speaking out.

Tygart, who banned disgraced rider Lance Armstrong from cycling for life, said: “Athletes that are clean are upset and angry and will revolt against anything less than a full accountability of all those involved”.

“It’s frustrating for sure to know that I missed that opportunity to run in the Olympic final, especially when athletes had tested positive before and were running again”, Stellingwerff said. Monday’s report recommended a lifetime ban for Rodchenkov.

It did, however, say it reserved the right for any re-testing of samples as the International Olympic Committee keeps them frozen for 10 years to check for new substances or fresh methods of testing.

He also said he had never heard of a secret Moscow laboratory – at the centre of the scandal – which allegedly hid doping by intentionally destroying more than 1,400 samples shortly before a WADA inspection.

The federation has prepared a response to the IAAF over the allegations ahead of a meeting Friday that will determine whether to suspend Russia, the first step toward potentially barring the country’s track and field team from the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.