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IOC to strip Olympic medals from athletes found guilty of doping

The doping scandal that has engulfed athletics leaves Sebastian Coe, the golden boy of British sport, facing the biggest challenge of his post-competitive career.

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The WADA commission said in its report outlined on Monday that the 2012 Olympics had in effect been “sabotaged” by the inaction of national anti-doping authorities and the IAAF.

Meanwhile, all samples for the Moscow lab will be transported “securely, promptly and with a demonstrable chain of custody” to an alternative WADA-accredited lab. The Moscow lab has the right to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport within 21 days.

The report also alleges that 1,417 test samples were destroyed ahead of a WADA inspection.

Russian Federation has for years revelled in its re-emergence as a sports superpower, the pinnacle coming when it topped the medal tally at last year’s Winter Olympics in Sochi.

However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted Tuesday that no evidence has been put forward so the accusations have no basis.

“The evidence released today demonstrates a shocking level of corruption, and sends a clear message to Russian Federation that they will not be allowed to cheat the world’s athletes and escape justice behind a wall of deception and lies”, Tygart said, reports CNN.

The 335-page report contains accusations of Russian “state-sponsored” doping.

Kamaev said there were question marks about the credibility of the sources used in the WADA report because they included sports people who had themselves failed doping tests.

The IAAF Council has the power to act on the recommendations and ban Russian Federation from sanctioned events, including next year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and the 2017 world championships in London. President Vladimir Putin says Russia’s air campaign in Syria has proven the military’s increased combat readiness and capability. The Russian sports ministry pulled funding from that laboratory this week after it lost its accreditation.

Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) Director Nikita Kamaev criticised WADA’s report as “unprofessional, illogical, and declarative”.

Such is the extent of the suggested doping and cover-ups in Russian athletics, including allegations it involved the state security service the FSB, every track and field medal won by the country’s competitors at the 2012 Olympics is now under scrutiny.

“If there are issues we have to absorb then we will but the report did also say that this is not limited to track and field and not limited to one country”.

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“We have reported on interference with doping controls on many occasions, not just in the past but up to and including the middle of this year, well after it was known that this investigation was underway”, said Dick Pound, the Canadian founder of WADA, who led the probe.

Denials conspiracy claims as Russia reacts to doping crisis