Sochi: President Vladimir Putin ordered officials to conduct an internal investigation into international allegations of a systematic doping programme involving Russia’s track-and-field athletes and coaches.
Sports Minister Vitaliy Mutko and all Russian sports officials should offer “the most open and professional collaboration with international anti-doping agencies,” Putin said late Wednesday in Sochi, which hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics, according to a transcript on the Kremlin’s website. “We in Russia must do everything to eliminate this problem.”
Doping “isn’t only Russia’s problem, but if our foreign colleagues have questions, these questions should be addressed,” Putin said. Russian athletes must be protected against using illegal drugs as “sports events and competitions are attractive only when they are fair,” he said.
“We are ready to tighten measures of responsibility, including administrative responsibility and, probably, think about criminal charges,” Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said following a meeting of sports officials with Putin.
Anyone found to have violated existing rules against doping must be held responsible, Putin said. “Responsibility must always be personal,” he said. “It’s absolutely certain that athletes who are far from doping, who have never touched drugs and do not do this, should not have to answer for those who break the rules.”
On Monday, a commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) issued a report accusing Russia of numerous violations of global anti-doping codes and recommended the country be banned from international athletics, including the 2016 Olympics.
Mutko said that although he believed the goal of the anti-doping scandal was to weaken competition from Russian athletes, Moscow was ready to cooperate with international bodies.
“On the whole, when analysing the commission’s conclusions, I can say that there are matters that we understand, know and are ready to correct. There are issues that require certain explanations,” he said, adding that Russia would re-evaluate its domestic anti-doping services with the help of international organisations.
“The measures could include changing the quality of testing, dropping quantitative indicators, and switching from direct conventional doping tests to biological passports, which virtually eliminate any manipulation,” Mutko added.
The doping scandal will be discussed on Friday at a session of the Council of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which has threatened to disqualify both the Russian Athletics Federation and Russian athletes.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called WADA’s allegations “unfounded” on Tuesday, saying the charges should be backed up with evidence.
