McClaren served on a three-member WADA commission past year that exposed extensive doping in Russian track and field.
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He alleged in the New York Times that 15 home medal winners were implicated in an intrinsic doping programme in which anabolic steroids were mixed with alcohol, before urine samples were switched in a clandestine night-time operation.
World Anti-Doping Agency president Sir Craig Reedie told Press Association Sport that a team of investigators has gone to Los Angeles to quiz Dr Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of Russia’s anti-doping laboratory.
Earlier this week, the International Olympic Committee said it would start re-testing samples from the 2014 Sochi Winter Games after allegations of tarnished samples were made last week by Rodchenkov.
WADA immediately opened an investigation into the allegations.
“My absolutely clear impression is that our “sworn friends” want to completely compromise Russian sport and show the whole world that allegedly all achievements by Russian athletes are based on doping”, Markin said.
Reedie wrote to Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko two weeks after a German WADA official was threatened with deportation by Russia’s FSB intelligence service for trying to test a Paralympic athlete in the closed city of Tryokhgorny, according to a report in the Times of London.
The US Justice Dept.is also investigating.
British sprinter Richard Kilty is doubtful there will be a “clean” Olympics in Rio this year, given the ongoing doping scandals in athletics.
The Russians have been accused of state-sponsored doping at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
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Director General David Howman added: “With the help of Professor McLaren, we will now gather and review all evidence to determine if there have been any violations to anti-doping rules, or any other rules or laws. Given the sentiments expressed by many of a perceived conflict of interest, we did what’s necessary to follow through on our commitment to get to the bottom of these allegations; while, seeing that impartiality and transparency prevail”.
