ATHLETICS GIANT RUSSIA was provisionally suspended from track and field on Friday over accusations of “state-sponsored” doping as the IAAF scrambled to salvage the sport’s credibility just nine months out from the Rio Olympics.
“Today we have been dealing with the failure of ARAF (All-Russia Athletic Federation) and made the decision to provisionally suspend them, the toughest sanction we can apply at this time,” IAAF president Sebastian Coe said.
“But we discussed and agreed that the whole system has failed the athletes, not just in Russia, but around the world.
“This has been a shameful wake-up call and we are clear that cheating at any level will not be tolerated.”
(C) AFP 2015