Doping scandal: whether Russia will go to the Olympics 2016? – BBC Russian

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Image caption Scandal doping questioned the participation of Russian athletes in the Olympics in 2016

Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) has sent to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) a detailed report in the hope that it will help to avoid the ban on the participation of Russian athletes in the Olympic Games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

The report provides an answer to the accusations of Russia in the use of “doping at the national level” brought by an independent report by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

The report of Russia will be discussed in the IAAF on Friday, and at the same time can be a final decision on the participation of Russian athletes in the Olympic Games, which will be announced later.

“In our report, sent to the IAAF, we agreed with some statements of WADA – said the acting president Vadim VFLA Zelichenok. – However, we are told that all these violations have taken place under the old manual Russian Athletics Federation and took place some time ago “.

Image copyright AP

Image caption Putin and Mutko urged not to punish “the athletes with a clear conscience”

In turn, Minister of Sports of Russia Vitaly Mutko said that Moscow will not boycott the next Olympic Games, when Russian athletes banned to participate in them.

“Russia against the boycott – said Mutko. – Russia is against political interference in sport “.

WADA claims that the London Olympics in 2012 were” sabotaged the widespread failure to act “against athletes suspected of taking performance-enhancing drugs, and this involved IAAF, the former president of that , Lamine Diack, is under investigation by French police.

In the report WADA also contains a recommendation for life disqualify five athletes and five trainers involved in the scandal doping.

The Kremlin dismissed the allegations as their groundless, but President Putin has ordered an investigation into these allegations.

At the same time, and Mutko and Putin urged to allow Russian athletes continue performances, arguing that a total ban is unfair to punish innocent athletes.

“It will be painful for athletes with a clear conscience, which could participate in the competition, this is the first – said Mutko. – Secondly, it is against the spirit of the statute of the WADA. The Commission itself acknowledges this in its report. It’s about protecting athletes with a clear conscience “.

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Image caption The final decision rests with the IAAF, even the IOC can not stand up for Russian athletes

On Wednesday, the president of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach said that his organization has no right to forbid countries to participate in the Olympics, and this issue is entirely the responsibility of IAAF.

During the Cold War the United States and its allies boycotted the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow in protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

In turn, the Soviet Union and its allies have refused to participate in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles four years later.

In the report WADA mentions a laboratory in Lausanne, which destroyed 67 samples sent for testing from Moscow, making “unsubstantiated conclusions” that these samples had fully studied.

In the laboratory deny that negligence or intentionally destroyed samples, and insist that the samples were destroyed, “according to the procedures approved by WADA”.