Russia’s Sports Minister Welcomes IOC Probes After Doping Evidence

Russia’s Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has said he welcomes the International Olympic Committee’s decision to open investigations into allegations of Russian doping.

Russia’s Sports Minister Welcomes IOC Probes After Doping Evidence

Following the release Monday of a World Anti-Doping Agency report that accused the country — and its sports ministry — of covering up hundreds of doping incidents, the IOC opened investigations into top Russian officials and demanded that major upcoming winter sports events be moved out of Russia.

A figure skating Grand Prix in Moscow on Nov. 4-6 and a ski jumping World Cup on Dec. 9-11 in Nizhny Tagil are the first events set to be moved from Russia.

The IOC also stated it will “explore the legal options with regard to a collective ban of all Russian athletes” from next month’s Rio Olympics.

Mutko told Russia’s state Tass news agency that “we absolutely share and support today’s decisions,” and added the primary issue was not Russian doping but rather “an unprecedented attack on the whole Olympic movement,” without providing any further details.

Early Tuesday, Mutko denied all wrongdoing and said he expected his subordinates to be cleared as well.

Two-time Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva made her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Tuesday morning that Russian track and field athletes not banned for doping be allowed to compete at the Rio de Janeiro Games.

Leaving a CAS appeal hearing held amid unusual secrecy in Geneva, Isinbayeva told state-owned news channel Russia 24 that she addressed the judging panel and was “optimistic” about the outcome.

The CAS hopes to reach a verdict on Thursday in the appeal filed by Russia’s national Olympic body on behalf of 68 athletes.

The ruling will guide the IOC executive board as it determines whether to ban all Russian teams from the Rio Games.

The Russian appeal challenges an IAAF ruling to suspend the All-Russian Athletic Federation and its athletes from international competition due to a nationwide, state-sponsored conspiracy of doping and cover-ups.

The IAAF imposed the ban last November and upheld it last month.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA – AUGUST 13: Elena Isinbaeva of Russia competes in the Women’s pole vault final during Day Four of the 14th IAAF World Athletics Championships Moscow 2013 at Luzhniki Stadium on August 13, 2013 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images)

Article by Pablo Mena