Vladimir Putin casts doubts on Wada doping report

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that the World Anti-Doping Agency's (Wada) report on doping among Russian athletes was based on the testimony of just one man and that the Olympic movement could be on the verge of split.

In a statement published by the Kremlin, Putin said that there was no place for doping in sport as it was a threat to the lives and health of the athletes and discredited fair play.

He said that Russian officials named in the Wada report will be temporarily suspended, but asked the Wada Commission for more detailed and “objective” information.

Wada is leading global calls for Russia to be banned from the Rio Olympics and Paralympics after a devastating report uncovered the extent of Russia’s state-directed doping.

The Wada-funded report, prepared by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren, has revealed the Russian Sports Ministry controlled a cynical scheme to cheat at numerous sporting events, including London 2012 and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Wada's executive committee met immediately after McLaren's report was published and has called on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) "to consider, under their respective charters, to decline entries for Rio 2016 of all athletes" submitted by the Russian authorities.

Earlier on Monday the IOC said that “the findings of the report show a shocking and unprecedented attack on the integrity of sport and on the Olympic Games. Therefore, the IOC will not hesitate to take the toughest sanctions available against any individual or organisation implicated.”