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Russian athletes tested positive for doping

WADA’s Independent Commission published on November 9 a year ago the results of its probe into the activity of the All-Russia Athletics Federation (ARAF), the Moscow anti-doping laboratory, the RUSADA and the Russian Sports Ministry.

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Tass also quoted an unidentified Russian Olympic Committee source on Tuesday as saying it has been notified that 14 Russian athletes were among those suspected of doping in Beijing, majority in track and field.

Those who tested positive for banned substances in past Olympics can not be members of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, the All-Russia Athletics Federation said.

Last week, the International Olympic Committee said 31 athletes could be banned from competing in the Rio Games after testing positive in Beijing samples.

Dmitry Shlyakhtin, a little-known regional official who was elected to head the Russian athletics federation in January, told AFP that Rodchenkov’s allegations came out of “fantasy movies or television series”.

“The Spanish Olympic Committee expresses its full support for the latest actions taken by the International Olympic Committee in favor of a clean sport”, the Spanish committee said in its statement on Wednesday. The IAAF suspended the track federation from global competition after a World Anti-Doping Agency commission report detailed state-sponsored doping.

The list also includes Chicherova, who won the high jump bronze in Beijing before winning gold at the 2012 London Games.

The IAAF will make a decision on June 17 as to whether it plans maintain or lift its ban.

When announcing the provisional results of the retests, the International Olympic Committee also confirmed that 250 samples from the 2012 Olympics in London were to be retested. Citing privacy reasons, it said it couldn’t even confirm the sport of the person caught on the reanalysis of the samples.

Shlyakhtin suggested political interference, rather than a lack of reforms, could keep Russian Federation out of the Rio Games, saying that countries such as Ukraine, Belarus, India and “especially China” deserved similar scrutiny on doping.

The IOC said it would not comment on the ongoing process.

Match TV also said the silver medalists who tested positive for doping are javelin thrower Maria Abakumova, and 4×400 relay runners Anastasia Kapachinskaya and Tatiana Firova, and weightlifter Maria Shainova.

“We want to build a system where people with high moral codes can speak out and maybe become heroes”, she said.

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Butov added that the move only applies to the Olympics while athletes who have served sanctions can compete at other events.

Russia's Anna Chicherova celebrates winning the bronze medal after the final of the women's high jump athletics event at the 2015 IAAF World Championships at the'Bird's Nest National Stadium in Beijing