MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) cleared 95 Russian athletes suspected of doping abuse, according to the organization's internal report, obtained by media.
"For the other 95 cases, the IFs [International Federations] determined there was insufficient evidence to assert ADRVs [antidoping rule violations] and, following our individual evaluation of each case, which was confirmed by external counsel, we support their assessments. The available evidence was insufficient to support the assertion of an ADRV against these 95 athletes," the report said, as quoted by the New York Times newspaper, which released it on Tuesday.
The report, published by the newspaper, does not list the names of cleared athletes.
In 2015, WADA accused Russia of multiple anti-doping violations and suspended the Moscow laboratory of RUSADA, the Russian National Anti-Doping Agency.
In 2016, Richard McLaren, the head of WADA commission, presented a two-part report on doping violations in Russia, which alleged the existence of a state-supported doping system.
Following the publication of the report, WADA urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to consider a blanket ban on the entire Russian Olympic team, but instead the committee let individual sports federations act on the issue, allowing a number of Russian athletes to participate in the Rio Olympics in 2016. At the same time, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) banned all Russian Paralympic athletes from the 2016 Summer Paralympics and the 2018 Winter Games.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov denied the existence of state interference, while admitting that Russian sports did have some doping-related issues.
