Russia state-sponsored doping across majority of Olympic sports, claims report

An investigation commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) found out that Russia operated a state-sponsored doping programme for four years across the 'vast majority' of summer and winter Olympic sports. The report followed up on earlier indications of such practice.

The report stated that this was 'planned and operated' from late 2011 - including the build-up to London 2012 - and continued through the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics until August 2015. Russia's sports ministry 'directed, controlled and oversaw' manipulation of samples provided by its athletes.

Sport’s highest tribunal, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), rejected on 21 July 2016 Russia’s appeal against the doping ban for its entire athletics team from the Rio Olympics, drawing swift and angry condemnation from Moscow.

However, on the 24 July 2016 it became clear that Russia wouldl not receive a blanket ban from Rio 2016. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to leave it up to individual sports' governing bodies to decide if Russian competitors were clean and should be allowed to take part.

• Primary Source

The Moscow Times, 19.07.16: Putin Denounces WADA Calls for Russian Olympic Ban as 'Political' http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/russia-reacts-to-doping-report-findings-54632

Sputnik International, 19.07.16: Russian Olympic Committee Disputes WADA's Stance on Banning Clean Athletes http://sptnkne.ws/bGXb

The Guardian, 18.07.16: Vladimir Putin warns of Olympic ‘schism’ after Russian doping revealed https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/jul/18/vladimir-putin-olympic-schism-russian-doping-revealed

BBC Sport, 19.07.16: Russian doping: Olympic chiefs to decide on sanctions after McLaren report http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/36829318

The Guardian, 18.07.16: Russia doping scandal: five things we learned from Wada’s report https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/jul/18/russia-doping-scandal-five-things-wada-report

WADA: WADA publishes Independent McLaren Investigations Report [July 2016] https://www.wada-ama.org/en/media/news/2016-07/wada-publishes-independent-mclaren-investigations-report

The New York Times, 18.07.16: Russia May Face Olympics Ban as Doping Scheme Is Confirmed http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/19/sports/report-confirms-state-sponsored-doping-by-russia-at-olympics.html

Newsweek, 18.07.16: WADA Confirms Russian Doping at Sochi Overseen by State http://europe.newsweek.com/wada-finds-russian-doping-sochi-manipulation-samples-overseen-ministry-sport-481403

Euronews, 18.07.16: Putin says claims of Russian doping ‘political’ http://www.euronews.com/2016/07/18/putin-says-claims-of-russian-doping-political/

The Wall Street Journal, 18.07.16: World Anti-Doping Agency Finds Cheating Conspiracy by Russia at Sochi Olympics http://www.wsj.com/articles/world-anti-doping-agency-finds-cheating-conspiracy-at-highest-levels-ofrussian-sports-1468848784

The New York Times, 19.07.16: Putin’s Swift Reaction to Doping Report Blames Anti-Russian Politics http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/19/sports/olympics/vladimir-putins-swift-reaction-to-doping-report-blames-anti-russian-politics.html

Deutsche Welle, 18.07.16: State-run Russian doping at Sochi identified, WADA calls for outright Rio ban http://dw.com/p/1JQtS

EurActiv, 19.07.16: Russian athletes face ban from Rio Olympics http://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/russian-athletes-face-ban-from-rio-olympics/

EurActiv, 21.07.16: Russian Olympic ban upheld, Moscow denounces ‘crime against sport’ http://www.euractiv.com/section/sports/news/russian-olympic-ban-upheld-moscow-denounces-crime-against-sport/

Euro|Topics: Debates, July 2016: Russian athletes banned from Rio games http://www.eurotopics.net/en/162818/russian-athletes-banned-from-rio-games

Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) : Press Release, 21.07.16: CAS rejects the claims/appeal of the Russian Olympic Committee and 68 Russian athletes http://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Media_Release_4684_210716.pdf

Deutsche Welle, 22.07.16: Mutko's mess leaves Russia out to dry http://dw.com/p/1JUEz

Euro|Topics: Debates, July 2016: IOC: No blanket ban for Russia in Rio http://www.eurotopics.net/en/163141/ioc-no-blanket-ban-for-russia-in-rio

Sputnik International: Tag: International Olympic Committee (IOC) http://sputniknews.com/tags/tag_International_Olympic_Committee_IOC/

BBC News, 25.07.16: Rio Olympics 2016: Wada criticises IOC for failing to ban Russian team http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/36879353

IOC: News, 24.07.16: Background information to the decision of the IOC Executive Board concerning the participation of Russian athletes in Rio 2016 https://www.olympic.org/news/background-information-to-the-decision-of-the-ioc-executive-board-concerning-the-participation-of-russian-athletes-in-the-olympic-games-rio-2016

IOC: Tag: Fight against doping https://www.olympic.org/news/fight-against-doping

The Conversation, 25.07.16: Should Russian athletes really be banned from competing in the Rio Olympics? https://theconversation.com/should-russian-athletes-really-be-banned-from-competing-in-the-rio-olympics-62962

Euro|Topics: Debates, August 2016: Does the Olympic spirit still live on? http://www.eurotopics.net/en/163883/does-the-olympic-spirit-still-live-on

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