Wada report: Russia should be barred from Rio Games for state-sponsored doping programme at Sochi 2014 Olympics
RUSSIA faced calls for their entire team to be booted out of the Rio Olympics as anti-drugs bosses accused Moscow of systematic cheating.
The World Anti-Doping Authority found evidence of Cold War-style state-sponsored doping in THIRTY sports — not just athletics.
Vladimir Putin and sports minister Vitaly Mutko watch the 2014 Olympics in Sochi
Yesterday’s damning Wada report revealed 580 failed urine tests were covered up.
As Britain joined worldwide calls for action, Olympic bosses agreed to hold an emergency summit today to decide how to bring the Russians to account.
Wada even astonishingly recommended that President Vladimir Putin be locked out of any events in Rio as well as his country’s team.
Canadian sports lawyer Richard McLaren’s 97-page report accused the Russian state of a campaign that saw hundreds of positive samples swapped for pre-collected “clean” urine tests.
Russia pointed to a “smear” but International Olympics Committee President Thomas Bach said: “The report shows a shocking attack on the integrity of sport and the Olympics.
“The IOC will not hesitate to take the toughest sanctions.”
Related Articles
Rio starts in just 17 days and banning Russia wholesale for doping would be an unprecedented move.
Their athletics team has already been banned after Wada found the country guilty of state-sponsored cheating with track and field stars.
A Wada spokesman said: “Russia’s Ministry of Sport orchestrated systematic cheating of Russian athletes to subvert the doping control process.
“The evidence shows subversion in 30 sports, including 20 Olympic and Paralympic sports.
“Wada recommends the IOC consider declining Rio 2016 entries of all athletes and that Russian Government officials be denied access to competitions, including Rio.”
Putin hit back: “We are witnessing a dangerous relapse of political interference into sport.
“The Olympic movement may again be driven to the brink of a split.”