Russia denies allegations of minister involved in doping

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was not “ready to accept any unfounded allegations, any unfounded accusations” regarding doping in the country.

However, a statement from the Russian Ministry of Sport insists positive work is being done in conjunction with WADA and the IAAF.

On Wednesday, Mutko said he wanted all retested doping samples from the 2008 and 2012 Olympics to be thrown out because of alleged flaws in the reanalysis process.

The ministry in April had announced a series of new anti-doping measures, including the appointment of global experts to assist with reforms and a minimum of three additional “independent, externally administered anti-doping controls” for athletes hoping to compete in Rio.

An independent commission established by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) recommended Russia be banned from global athletics after an investigation into claims made in the ARD documentary “Top Secret Doping: How Russia makes its winners” last November.

“The Taskforce of the International Athletics Federation IAAF, which had been presented with the research results for this film. informed us. that the research was a “very serious matter” as well as a “matter of urgency” and represented a “grave concern”, ARD/WDR said in a statement on the program.

The broadcaster also said it had footage of coaches, banned for life for doping, continuing to train top athletes.

Based on documents of the former boss of the anti-doping laboratory in Moscow, Grigory Rodchenkov, the whistle-blower who has fled to the United States, ARD noted that Russia’s sports ministry adviser Natalia Zhelanova was “permanently interfering (in) everyday operation of anti-doping agency Rusada”.

“For me and all the others there is nothing new in this film”.

A total of 55 stored samples from those Games have tested positive, according to the International Olympic Committee.

Sample B probes of Marina Shainova and Nadezhda Evstyukhina, respectively the 2008 Olympics silver and bronze medalists, tested positive for doping substance Turinabol, said the athletes’ coach Vladimir Shainov. Every Russian athlete will be subject to three additional doping tests by the IAAF. “No, no one is doing this”, the Russian sports minister said.

And Moscow’s early attempts to blame unnamed foreign powers for attacking Russian sports for political reasons is a card it is finding increasingly hard to use – as many of those charging Russia with foul play are former Russian officials.

It has also touched off investigations that led to a raft of Russian athletes being stripped of their Olympic medals.