MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russian sports officials do everything in their powers to minimize the consequences of the doping scandal ahead of the the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.
"Actually, all our sports officials and sports community do everything possible to minimize the consequences for our sportsmen, who have nothing to do with doping, in order to ensure the largest possible representation at the Olympic Games," Peskov told reporters.
In November 2015, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Independent Commission issued a report accusing Russia of numerous breaches of global anti-doping regulations and recommended the country be banned from international athletics competitions. As a result, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) temporary suspended the Russian Athletic Federation's membership of the association.
On January 1, the WADA banned meldonium, an anti-ischemic medication. A number of top Russian athletes, including tennis star Maria Sharapova, swimmer Yulia Efimova, figure skater Ekaterina Bobrova and biathlonist Eduard Latypov among others subsequently failed drug tests for the drug.
The Russian authorities have promised to carry out a clean-up program to fulfill the WADA demands in order for country's athletes to be allowed to participate in the 2016 Olympics.
