Russia faces calls for ban from Rio Olympics after report shows state-sanctioned doping

There was widespread sample swapping at Sochi. Credit: PA

  • Video report by ITV News correspondent Sally Lockwood

The World Anti-Doping Agency has recommended Russia's athletes to be banned from taking part in the Rio Olympics.

WADA made its submission to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Paralympic Committee following the release of a damning independent report into state complicity in Russian doping.

The IOC promised "the toughest sanctions available", but did not spell out whether that amounted to a ban from the Rio Olympics, which are just three weeks away.

The report, produced by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren, revealed wide-spread, state-sanctioned doping by Russian athletes at the 2014 Sochi Games.

WADA president Sir Craig Reedie in a statement, said the report exposed "serious manipultaion of the doping control process".

The report found:

  • Stored samples from Sochi 2014 were sent to a London laboratory for tests to see if the bottles had been opened. It was found all of the containers had been opened

  • Doped samples "disappeared" from the anti-doping laboratory in Moscow, that they were swapped with clean samples at the laboratory for the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014 and that these plans were directed by the Russian sports ministry

  • The report states that it was "inconceivable" that sports minister Vitaly Mutko did not know about the situation

  • A failed drugs test from a foreign footballer in the Russian league was also covered up by Mutko

Sochi was heavily impacted by doping. Credit: PA

In comments made to Reuters, McLaren described the Russian doping deception as "beautiful in it's simplicity".

Russian president Vladimir Putin said the report's findings were a "throwback" to the days of political interference in sport and demanded more data from WADA in order for Russia to undertake its own investigations.

But he said that Russian officials named in the report as directly responsible would be suspended.

"Russia is well aware of the great importance and creative power of the Olympic movement, and fully shares the Olympic values: mutual respect, solidarity, fairness, spirit of friendship and cooperation," Mr Putin said in a statement.

"Our position is clear: there is no place for doping in sports."