Anti-doping leaders call for Russian teams to be banned

NEW YORK — A global group of anti-doping leaders is calling for Russian teams to be excluded from international competitions while establishing a process to allow individuals from the country to compete if they can prove they have taken part in effective anti-doping programmes elsewhere.

Leaders from 19 national anti-doping organisations, including those in the United States, Britain and Sweden, held a summit this week and released their recommendations on Tuesday.

The National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADO) leaders also called for removal of major international competitions from Russia, a process that already has begun in the wake of the second part of the McLaren doping report, which was released last month.

The McLaren report detailed state involvement in a widespread doping conspiracy that touched almost every corner of international sports. The details included a cover-up involving 12 medallists from the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

Since the report, track’s governing body, the IAAF, has set out guidelines under which Russians can compete as independent athletes if they can prove they’ve been subject to anti-doping regimens outside their own country.

NADO leaders recommend the same sort of process for all sports.

In a statement, the leaders said, “It is imperative that those responsible for Russia’s state-supported system are held accountable.” AP