International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Lamine Diack dismissed suggestions that Russia might be prevented from sending athletes to the Olympic Games as 'a joke.' A German television programme made allegations that doping was organised throughout Russian sport, and said almost all Russian athletes doped. The IAAF ethics commission and the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) are investigating the evidence and researching if Russian officials ran such a programme.

International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Lamine Diack dismissed suggestions that Russia might be prevented from sending athletes to the Olympic Games as "a joke."

A German television programme made allegations that doping was organised throughout Russian sport, and said almost all Russian athletes doped. The IAAF ethics commission and the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) are investigating the evidence and researching if Russian officials ran such a programme. But Diack said Russia would not be banned from international athletics over the allegations.

"They are in! They are in," he told reporters at a sports convention in the Russian resort of Sochi. "I think that was a joke that there was a declaration in Russia there are 99 percent doped and so on. I said what was exaggerated was ridiculous. We organise here in Russia the Winter Olympics last year. We organise a world championships. It would signify that we are all wrong. The IOC, says there are some who doped. We will catch and sanction. I think we ought to do in Russia like they did in the United States. We used to have a lot of problems with the United States in the '90s," Diack said.

 

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Olympics: "IAAF President Dismisses Idea of Russia Athletics Ban"