Russia forms anti-doping task force after provisional IAAF suspension

Russia's Olympic Committee president Alexander Zhukov.

Russia have announced the formation of a task force to stop doping in athletics as the country faces the prospect of being banned from next year’s Olympic Games.

The Russian athletics federation was provisionally suspended last Friday by the IAAF after a report commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accused the country of operating a state-sponsored doping program.

The taskforce will consist of officials from sport federations, the government and an athletes' representative and will be headed by chairman Gennady Alyoshin.

With Russia's involvement at the Rio Olympics in serious doubt, the group will work to have the country's IAAF ban lifted and to prevent future doping by athletes.

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The President of the IAAF, Lord Coe, confirms that they have voted to suspend Russia from all competition.

"The main task is not just to fight back against the criticism that's being directed at us, but to really clean up our sport and get rid of doping," Russian Olympic Committee head Alexander Zhukov said on Wednesday.

"To ensure reforms are implemented, the taskforce has been given some powers to run the Russian athletics federation ahead of new federation elections in January," Zhukov said, adding that the group also liaise with the IAAF and WADA on Russia's progress in cleaning up its athletics program.

The announcement of the taskforce comes after Zhukov met IOC president Thomas Bach last week, with the pair agreeing that Russia would punish athletes, coaches and officials connected with doping in return for clean Russian athletes being allowed to compete in Rio.

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"We feel serious support from the International Olympic Committee for the Russian Olympic Committee and all our clean athletes," Zhukov said.

"If in the end our athletes go to the Olympics in Rio, all clean athletes, then we'll consider that the committee's work is completely done."

Zhukov dismissed suggestions Russia's track team could compete at the Olympics under the IOC or Russian Olympic Committee flag as a alternative solution, which would likely mean their results would not count toward Russia's standing in the medals table.

Kenya probed over cover-up

Kenya have been investigated since March over allegations of doping cover-ups.

"Russian athletes should compete under the Russian flag. That's our position and we'll keep strongly to that," he said.

Meanwhile, Kenya have been warned by WADA that they could be in breach of their code if they fail to provide satisfactory answers about their anti-doping programme.

If our athletes go to the Olympics in Rio all clean then we'll consider that the committee's work is completely done.

Alexander Zhukov

Athletics in Kenya has come under scrutiny in the wake of Russia's suspension, with WADA's report claiming Russia was not  the only country "facing the problem of orchestrated doping in sport".

A statement from WADA posted on Twitter on Wednesday read: "WADA has requested Kenya to answer questions relating to its anti-doping program. Await those answers, and if unsatisfactory, then it could be a matter for Compliance Review Committee.