IAAF to probe new doping allegations against Russia
Russia's chances of sending an athletics team to the Rio Olympics appeared to recede on Sunday after a new documentary alleged further doping improprieties.
The IAAF has said it will "look carefully" at a new documentary from the German broadcaster ARD, whose original expose of Russian drug testing procedures led indirectly to the nation's suspension from athletics in November.
A subsequent investigation by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) uncovered widespread cheating and corruption and a complete revamp of the Russian anti-doping agency, RUSADA, has been ordered.
In a statement, the IAAF said it had been sent material by ARD and journalist Hajo Seppelt in advance of Sunday's broadcast, and was studying the contents.
The statement said: "The IAAF thanks ARD and Mr. Seppelt for giving the independent chair Rune Andersen of the IAAF Taskforce advance access to video and audio recording material which was broadcast in today's ARD/WDR documentaries. The Taskforce will look carefully into the matters raised by the latest documentaries, including discussing them with representatives of RUSAF (the Russian Athletics Federation)."
If the latest set of allegations are proved correct, it would deal a huge blow to Russia's hopes of convincing WADA and the IAAF they had made enough progress to justify a lifting of the suspension in time for Rio.
In a pre-emptive strike on Saturday, Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko dismissed the latest allegations and accused the programme-makers of pursuing a political agenda.
Mutko told the Russian state agency TASS: "The thought occurs that it is an attempt to influence the organisations which are to take the major decisions.
"It happens at the time when Russia - despite the many artificial and politicised accusations - decided to once again, jointly with all the authorized international sports authorities, to adjust its system to remove any allegations."
In February, RUSADA agreed to the imposition of a new drug-testing programme run by the UK Anti-Doping Agency to cover the period of time in which RUSADA remains non-compliant with the WADA code.
