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Russia operated a state-sponsored doping programme for four years across the "vast majority" of summer and winter Olympic sports, claims a new report. It was "planned and operated" from late 2011 - including the build-up to London 2012 - and continued through the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics until August 2015. An investigation commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) says Russia's sports ministry "directed, controlled and oversaw" manipulation of urine samples provided by its athletes. It says Russian athletes benefited from what the report called the "Disappearing Positive Methodology", whereby positive doping samples would go missing.
Russian President Putin said officials named in the McLaren report would be suspended, pending a thorough investigation. But a statement released by the Kremlin criticised the report as "accusations against Russian athletes" based on the the testimony of "a person with a scandalous reputation". It also warned of a "dangerous recurrence of interference of politics in sport". Putin has asked Wada to provide "more complete, objective, evidence-based information" to Russian investigators.
