Russia Olympic chief slams ban demands

MOSCOW: Russia’s Olympic chief on Monday attacked the United States and Canada’s anti-doping agencies for trying to pressure the International Olympic Committee into imposing a full ban on Russia from the Rio Olympics.

In a letter sent late Sunday to IOC president Thomas Bach, the head of Russia’s Olympic committee Alexander Zhukov expressed deep concern and threatened to refer the case to the IOC ethics board.

“Russia’s Olympic Committee was extremely disappointed with the moves by the Anti-Doping Agencies of the United States and Canada,” Zhukov wrote in his letter, which was released by the Russian committee’s press service on Monday.

“We consider it to be an attempt to create an international coalition of athletes and organisations supporting a complete ban on Russian athletes competing at the Olympics.”

Zhukov also expressed concern that the results of the investigation of WADA independent commission had been leaked ahead of its release later on Monday. “This campaign is apparently based on information received by the WADA commission led by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren, though this report should remain independent and completely confidential until the date of its release,” Zhukov said.

“How could these organisations know in advance the content of the report before it was officially presented?”