WADA, IAAF Ready to Work With Russia on Settling Doping Scandal

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) are ready to cooperate with Russia in settling issues related to doping, Russia's Minister of Sport Vitaly Mutko said Friday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Mutko's comments come just days after a WADA conference in Geneva on Monday, when a commission from the agency accused Russia of breaking multiple anti-doping regulations.

WADA advised the IAAF to disqualify Russian athletes from taking part the 2016 Olympic games, as well as the federation's competitions. Mutko and Russia's intelligence bureau, the FSB, were accused of doping cover-ups.

"We are among the leaders of world sports, and we want to be at the forefront of this (anti-doping) process. We do not want to have another film and another investigation despite changing the situation. This is what is being discussed, voluntary joint work towards establishing order, that's what we are prepared for. As far as I understood from yesterday's talks with the heads of WADA and IAAF, they are also prepared [for this]," Mutko told R-Sport.

Mutko has rejected the accusations, stressing that honest athletes should not be penalized for those involved in doping, admitting that doping problems exist in Russia. Resolving these issues requires cooperation, rather than Russia's isolation, Mutko said.

WADA's accusations were fostered by last year's "Top-secret Doping: How Russia makes its Winners" film released by the German TV channel ARD.

The documentary claimed that 80 percent of Russian Olympic champions have used performance enhancing drugs, accusing Russia's anti-doping agency RUSADA of covering up positive drug test results. The film interviewed former Russian athletes previously disqualified by RUSADA for using banned substances.