The head of Russia's Olympic Committee, Alexander Zhukov, is stepping down, "in the biggest change at the top of Russian sport since a doping scandal led to the country's track-and-field athletes being excluded from the Rio Games," according to Stubbs & Lowe of REUTERS. President Vladimir Putin said that Zhukov had told him "he wanted to leave the role so he could concentrate on his other job as first deputy speaker in the lower house of parliament." Zhukov was given the "tough task of trying to persuade" the IOC not to ban Russia entirely from the Rio Games despite reports from the World Anti-Doping Agency that "uncovered widespread state-sponsored cheating." His "low-key, behind-the-scenes style was in contrast to the forceful approach" of Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, who is well known for "emotional outbursts." Whoever replaces Zhukov "will play a key role in trying to clean up Russia's reputation and heal relations with the wider Olympic movement." Russian officials "made no connection between Zhukov's departure and the doping allegations." Russian Wrestling Federation President Mikhail Mamiashvili said, "In most of the cases, these were made up and were unfounded, in order to totally discredit Russian sport" (REUTERS, 10/12).
