Russia’s Olympic committee said it would lead reform Russian athletics on Saturday and the sport’s head said he was prepared to resign as a doping scandal threatened to cost Russia its place at the 20
Russia’s Olympic committee said it would lead reform Russian athletics on Saturday and the sport’s head said he was prepared to resign as a doping scandal threatened to cost Russia its place at the 2016 Olympics.
The International Association of Athletics Federations voted overwhelmingly on Friday to suspend the Russian Athletics Federation for widespread and state-sponsored doping.
“The Russian Olympic Committee is ready to take the initiative to reform the ARAF federation and bring it in line with the requirements of the IAAF and anti-doping legislation,” committee head Alexander Zhukov was quoted as saying.
“This must be done efficiently and as soon as possible to ensure that our athletes participate in the Olympic Games.”
Vadim Zelichenok, the acting head of the ARAF said the IAAF ban was harsh but that he was prepared to resign to help Russian athletics recover from the scandal, Russian news agencies reported.
“I believe, the IAAF council made a decision which was too severe,” Zelichenok said.
But other Russian officials said the suspension would be quickly resolved and hinted that they might appeal against the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.
“It is a predictable and understandable decision,” Russian sports ninister Vitaly Mutko said of the decision. “We need to understand what they want and where they see threats. We will develop a joint road map and try do it quickly. I think we can do all the work in two to three months.”
ARAF general secretary Mikhail Butov said: “If there is something that doesn’t satisfy us, then there is sense intalking about an appeal,” he added. “I am sure that Russia willgo to the Olympic Games.”
Mutko and ARAF members will meet for emergency talks on Nov. 15.
Russia is one of the superpower is world athletics and finished second behind the United States in the track and fieldmedal count at the 2012 Olympics in London.
Following the IAAF council meeting, Russia is being stripped of hosting the world race walking and world junior championships next year. The first competition to be affected by the ban is the European cross-country championships in France on Dec. 13.
After a three-hour teleconference on Friday, hosted by its president Sebas-tian Coe, the IAAF council voted 22-1 in favour of suspending Russia.
