President Putin calls for open response to doping allegations

President Vladimir Putin has called for Russia to conduct a full investigation into its country's athletes following claims of systematic doping.

In his first comments since an independent commission from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) levelled its accusations, Putin said Russia needed to cooperate with international organisations looking into the issue as openly as it could.

His response comes in the wake of Monday's damning WADA report that said Russian sport is plagued by extensive, state-sanctioned doping.

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Putin said: "I ask the minister of sport and all our colleagues who are linked in one way or another with sport to pay this issue the greatest possible attention.

"It is essential that we conduct our own internal investigation and provide the most open - and I want to underline - the most open professional cooperation with international anti-doping structures. The battle must be open. A sporting contest is only interesting when it is honest," 

The allegations have raised the prospect of Russia's track and field athletes being denied participation in next year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Earlier, IOC President Thomas Bach said he expects the IAAF to take "necessary measures" against the Russian track and field federation on Friday.