Russian sports minister says 'sorry' for doping scandal
Last Updated: 15/05/16 12:58pm
Russia's sports minister Vitaly Mutko has apologised for the doping scandal which could result in his country's athletes being expelled from this summer's Olympic Games.
Russian athletes may be banned from competing in Brazil this August after the IAAF provisionally suspended their athletics federation last November.
The IAAF made their decision following a report by a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) which alleged that Russia were involved in state-sponsored doping and mass corruption in the sport.
More recently a report in the New York Times, based on information from the former head of Russia's anti-doping laboratory, claimed that dozens of athletes - including 15 medallists - were involved in systematic doping at the Winter Games of 2014 in Sochi.
Let us be clear. We are ashamed of them.
Russian Sports Minister
An extraordinary council meeting of the IAAF will gather later this month to discuss Russia's participation in Rio.
And now Mutko says: "We are very sorry that athletes who tried to deceive us, and the world, were not caught sooner. Let us be clear. We are ashamed of them.
"We are very sorry because Russia is committed to upholding the highest standards in sport and is opposed to anything that threatens the Olympic values."
He also insists that since the scandal emerged Russia was starting to put its house in order.
Mutko added: "Russia was suspended last November, with RUSADA, the Moscow laboratory and the ARAF, all losing their WADA status.
"Now we have agreed a road-map with WADA aimed at restructuring these organisations, taking a series of steps to demonstrate how committed we are to ensuring that sport in our country is clean and fair."
