The Russian government has begun fighting accusations that the country operated a vast state-sponsored doping program, even as the first punishment was handed down.
A report on Monday by a commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency accused Russia of widespread, state-sponsored doping and cover-ups by sports officials and track and field athletes, including Olympic medalists. It said that agents from the FSB intelligence service interfered with the work of a doping lab during last year’s Winter Olympics in Sochi.
President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said the allegations in the commission’s report are not supported by evidence, while an increasing number of senior officials hinted at a conspiracy to vilify Russian sports.
“As long as there is no evidence, it is difficult to consider the accusations, which appear rather unfounded,” Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
In the first move to implement recommendations, WADA revoked the accreditation of the country’s anti-doping lab in Moscow. That blocks all testing of samples, which will now be transported to another WADA-accredited lab.
The WADA commission says tests were routinely falsified at the lab to protect Russian athletes. The facility is headed by Grigory Rodchenkov, who is accused of concealing doping, extorting money from athletes and destroying samples.