Putin orders probe into allegations of mass doping

LONDON — Russia President Vladimir Putin has ordered an investigation into allegations of widespread doping among the country’s sports figures.

Putin called for the investigation in a late-night meeting Wednesday with the heads of Russia’s sports federations. The meeting comes in the wake of Monday’s report by a commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency that said Russian sports is plagued by extensive, state-sanctioned doping.

The allegations have raised the prospect of Russia’s track and field athletes being denied partici- pation in next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Putin ordered Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko and “all colleagues connected with sport” to pay close attention to the doping allegations and for an internal investigation to be conducted — guaranteeing full co-operation with international anti-doping bodies.

Russia’s sports minister said the country can deal with alleged widespread doping problems on its own. Vitaly Mutko was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying Wednesday that Russia holds the Word Anti-Doping Agency commission that reported on Russian problems and its findings “in due respect.”

He said “we agree with the commission’s main findings that doping is not a problem of Russia but of the whole world and the doping problems cannot be resolved within one country.”

Mutko added that “Russia is capable of dealing with the problems named in the commission’s report independently.”

IOC president Thomas Bach said he expects the IAAF to take “necessary measures” against the Russian track and field federation on Friday. Russia could be suspended from the sport — nine months before next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro — when IAAF president Sebastian Coe convenes a meeting of his ruling council.

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

Bach said he expects the IAAF decisions will “protect clean athletes.” However, the IOC president says “we have no authority” to bar the Russian track team from the Rio Games.

Asked if the Olympic body could show leadership in the Russian doping scandal, Bach said: “We have already shown this leadership.”

Bach said the IOC has pledged to withdraw Olympic medals from any Russian athletes found guilty of doping.