Russian federal investigators said on Friday they had sent the World Anti-Doping Agency “proof” refuting claims by whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov of a state-sponsored doping programme at the Sochi Olympics in 2014.
“The investigators have collected objective proof refuting Rodchenkov’s deceitful evidence concerning the delivery of athletes’ doping samples to the Sochi anti-doping laboratory,” the Russian Investigations Committee said in a statement.
The committee said it had sent WADA documents relating to the registration of doping samples that contradicted the whistleblower’s allegations, according to the statement on its website.
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The body, which reports directly to the Kremlin, opened an investigation into the scandal in 2016.
Former Russian Anti-Doping Agency chief Rodchenkov provided key evidence leading to suspensions of Russian athletes from global sport, including a ban from competing under the Russian flag at February’s Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
The suspensions followed revelations based on Rodchenko’s evidence concerning a vast state-sponsored doping scheme that included charges that tainted urine samples were switched with clean ones at the Sochi Games.
{{/usCountry}}The suspensions followed revelations based on Rodchenko’s evidence concerning a vast state-sponsored doping scheme that included charges that tainted urine samples were switched with clean ones at the Sochi Games.
{{/usCountry}}Rodchenkov fled to the United States in late 2015 and went into hiding, saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted him dead for his role in exposing the doping conspiracy.