The World Anti-Doping Agency has recommended that Russian athletes be banned from participating in all international competitions, including the upcoming 2016 Olympics and Paraolympics in Brazil.
In a statement published on its website, WADA urges the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to “consider, under their respective Charters, to decline entries, for Rio 2016, of all athletes submitted by the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and the Russian Paralympic Committee.”
The recommendation follows the release of the latest report from WADA, which was led by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren. Further recommendations advise “Russian government officials to be denied access to international competitions, including Rio 2016.”
What’s more, WADA calls on the International Football Federation’s (FIFA) Ethics Committee “to look into allegations concerning football and the role played by a member of its Executive Committee, Minister Vitaly Mutko.”
The WADA report, led by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren and published on Monday, found that the Russian Sports Ministry had actively participated in swapping samples at its laboratories in Moscow and Sochi, while claiming that the Federal Security Service (FSB) had also provided assistance.
However, the report was unable to determine how the FSB was able to open the sample bottles, for a pre-selected group of Russian athletes and then reseal them.
The investigation centered on accusations made in the New York Times by whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of the under-fire Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory.