US Wants to Make Sport Arena for Confrontation With Russia - Moscow

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United States is trying to turn the sport into yet another arena for a fierce confrontation with Russia, the Russian Foreign Ministry has stated, reacting to the debates on the so-called Rodchenkov Act in US Congress.

"[The act] is presented in such a way as if it was aimed at the noble cause of fighting the use of doping in sport. In reality, it is another attempt to clash the extraterritorial application of US laws with widely accepted international anti-doping mechanisms… US politicians… are clearly trying to turn the sport into yet another area of tough confrontation with Russia", the ministry said in a statement.

The Foreign Ministry also urged the United States to not mix sport with politics.

"We would like to hope that US lawmakers will think about the inadmissibility of mingling sport with politics. It would have destructive consequences for the international movement", the ministry added.

READ MORE: WADA VP Calls for Immediate Meeting on Russian Anti-Doping Agency's Status

The statement comes a day after Senator Sheldon Whitehouse's office said in a press release that US lawmakers in the House and Senate introduced new legislation that would set penalties for participation in doping fraud in international sports.

The lawmakers said stiff penalties are needed because the World Anti-Doping Agency's response to Russia's doping scandal has been inadequate.

Russian Olympic Medalists Ukhov, Skholina Suspended for Four Years From 1 Feb

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled to suspend Russian Olympic medalists Svetlana Shkolina (High jump) and Ivan Ukhov (High jump) for four years starting from 1 February 2019 for violation of anti-doping rules, the CAS said in a statement.

Skholina's results achieved from 16 July 2012 to 28 July 2015 will be disqualified, and Ukhov's results achieved from 16 July 2012 to 31 December 2015 will be disqualified, it said.