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Kremlin hopes IOC to change mind on sanctioning Russia for doping

Xinhua, July 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Kremlin hoped that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will revise its opinion on sanctioning Russia over a report of wide-spread doping use, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday.

"The investigation (by the Russian side) is still taking place. We hope that, with the information that will come from the (WADA) commission, there will be significant arguments for such recommendations to be cancelled," Peskov was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti news agency.

Peskov questioned the credibility of the single source in the doping scandal, former head of Moscow's anti-doping laboratory Grigory Rodchenkov, on whose testimony the WADA recommended the IOC to suspend the Russian team from the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

"We shall say it this way, the source is dubious and compromised, and therefore it is not clear to us what other information is available," Peskov said when pointing out that Rodchenkov himself was involved in manipulations with doping.

Peskov said Russia is ready and willing to listen to the opinion of WADA, and would continue interaction and contacts with the IOC.

WADA's recommendation to IOC was made on Monday, which was based on an investigation by an independent commission with a conclusion that the Russian State manipulated the doping control process, particularly, during the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

Putin said in a statement on Monday that Moscow would ask the WADA commission to provide "fuller and more objective fact-based information" so that Russia's law enforcement and investigative agencies could use it in their own investigation.

He also ordered suspension of all the officials mentioned in the report until a full investigation was completed.

On Tuesday, the IOC issued a statement saying it would not organize or give patronage to any sports event or meeting in Russia and will not grant accreditation to the 2016 Olympic Games to the Russian sports officials or other persons mentioned in the WADA report. Endit