The world athletics task force "that holds the fate of Russia’s track and field athletes in its hands" ahead of the Rio Olympics said that new doping allegations that implicate Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko are a "grave concern" and will be investigated as a "matter of urgency," according to Owen Gibson of the London GUARDIAN. As the Russian authorities continue to try to "prove they are serious" about tackling the systemic doping issues, a new documentary by the German broadcaster ARD "will claim on Wednesday night that Mutko blocked the reporting of a doping offence by a top-flight footballer." It "is believed that the positive test in question was never made public." The new revelations "could be particularly damaging for Russia because they threaten to drag football into the debate for the first time before the country’s hosting of the 2018 World Cup." Mutko "did not respond when asked by the broadcaster whether he had ever intervened in the publication of a positive drug test." The new documentary from Hajo Seppelt, whose earlier revelations led directly to WADA commissioning a report from Dick Pound that laid bare "the extent of cheating and corruption" in Russia and at the IAAF, "will also allege that the Russian government was directly involved in covering up state controlled doping." The IAAF task force, led by the respected Norwegian anti-doping expert Rune Andersen, "asked for more time to complete its investigation in March and will now deliver its verdict" on June 17 on whether Russia has met the tests set when the country’s athletes were banned by the IAAF in November (GUARDIAN, 6/7).
UNDER THE INFLUENCE: REUTERS' Stubbs & Grohman wrote Mutko said that "allegations that he was directly implicated in doping offences were an attempt to sway a ruling on Russia's ban from international athletics ahead of the Rio Olympics." ARD/WDR said that "it had documents to support the allegation." Mutko: "The aim of this film is obvious: to influence the committee on the reinstatement of Russian athletics on the eve of its meeting." The Russian Sports Ministry, in a statement about the new ARD documentary, "did not directly address the allegations against Mutko and other state officials." Mutko "could not be reached for comment" (REUTERS, 6/8).
'ABSOLUTE SLANDER': REUTERS' Stubbs & Kiselyova wrote Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia "will treat all unfounded allegations of doping against its sportspeople as slander." Referring to genuine doping cases which have already been proven, Peskov said, "All this does not mean that we are ready to accept any unfounded allegations, any unsubstantiated accusations." Peskov said any new wider allegations not underpinned by hard evidence would be treated as "absolute slander" (REUTERS, 6/8).
