Russia digs deep into doping denial

PARIS: The McLaren report on doping in Russia again left international division – Russia still denying there is any state involvement, while the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) called the findings “astonishing”.

No-one gave a sign that Russia is moving back toward full membership of the global sports community after Richard McLaren’s investigation for the World Anti-Doping Agency said there was an “institutional conspiracy” to produce a Russian medal winning machine.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it would re-analyse all 254 samples it has from Russian athletes at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Athletics governing body said it had discovered three new failed tests by Russian athletes from the 2007 world championships in Osaka, Japan.

The IOC this week extended sanctions against Russia while the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) recently renewed its suspension of the country. “The Russian sports ministry with full responsibility states there are no government programmes to support doping in sport,” it said in a statement in response to the McLaren report conclusion that more than 1,000 Russian athletes took part in officially-orchestrated doping. The ministry added that it “will continue the fight against doping with zero tolerance” and “carefully study the information contained in the report with the aim of coming up with a constructive position”. Moscow has steadfastly denied any government backing for doping. But it has struggled to lift international doubts. The IOC has two disciplinary inquiries into Russian sport and doping at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Following the McLaren report, the IOC said it had extended the second inquiry to cover the 2012 London Olympics. The IPC, which banned Russia completely from the Rio Paralympics in September, kept up its hardline stance. “The full findings of the report are unprecedented and astonishing. “They strike right at the heart of the integrity and ethics of sport,” it said in a statement. — AFP

A technician holds a test tube withabloodsample at the Russian antidoping laboratory in MoscowI Russia. — Reuters photo

File photo of the Olympic and Russian flags being hoisted during the Opening Ceremony of the pochi tinter Olympics. — AFm photo