THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC Committee (IOC) has promised to enforce the “toughest sanctions available” on Russia following allegations of widespread doping in the McLaren report.
But the organisation has promised to first “explore legal options” before committing to a complete ban on Russian athletes at the Rio Olympics, which begins on 5 August.
The probe by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren, on behalf of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), implicated the FSB intelligence and security agency, and Russian government officials in a “state-dictated failsafe” doping system.
It claimed that hundreds of positive drugs tests had been hidden and methods of deception included a “mouse-hole” in a laboratory wall, the use of table salt to tamper with samples and undercover FSB officers posing as sewer engineers, giving them clearance to enter the laboratories.
Much of the vital information has come via whistleblower Dr Grigory Rodchenkov, a former anti-doping laboratory director. Howeverm Russia president Vladimir Putin has already questioned the integrity of Dr Rodchenkov, someone he described as “having a notorious reputation”.
There were widespread calls for Russia to receive a blanket ban at the Games following the report’s release yesterday, which would follow the ban of the Russian athletics team over a previous state-controlled doping saga.
“The findings of the report show a shocking and unprecedented attack on the integrity of sports and on the Olympic Games,” IOC president Thomas Bach said.
“Therefore, the IOC will not hesitate to take the toughest sanctions available against any individual or organisation implicated.”
The IOC held an emergency telephone conference today in the wake of the report’s release and the organisation has confirmed that the evidence will be carefully evaluated by a disciplinary commission before a punitive decision is made, leaving Russian athletes in limbo for the time being.
“With regard to the participation of Russian athletes in the Olympic Games Rio 2016, the IOC will carefully evaluate the IP Report,” an IOC statement read.
“It will explore the legal options with regard to a collective ban of all Russian athletes for the Olympic Games 2016 versus the right to individual justice.
“In this respect, the IOC will have to take the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) decision on 21 July 2016 concerning the IAAF rules into consideration, as well as the World Anti-Doping Code and the Olympic Charter.”
The Court of Arbitration for Sport decision relates to appeals from 68 Russian track and field athletes over their ban from Rio, hearings which began in Geneva today.
The IOC has also asked Wada to extend Prof McLaren’s mandate to reveal the names of the athletes who have been involved in the doping scandal.
The governing body has also made clear its intentions to re-test all Russian athletes who competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, following revelations in the McLaren report.
The IOC has also banned Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko and other ministry officials from attending the Games and has begun disciplinary actions against Russian officials mentioned in the report.
The Olympic governing body has also called for Russia to be banned from hosting future sporting events, which includes the nation’s plans to stage the 2019 European Games in Sochi or Kazan.
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