Track and Field's Governing Body to Decide Whether to Ban Russia from World Athletics

MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/GettyImages(NEW YORK) — Track and field’s world governing body is expected to decide Friday whether to suspend Russia from world athletics over an alleged doping epidemic.

If Russia is banned, its track and field team could be excluded from the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

The expected decision Friday from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) follows a 323-page report released by an independent commission set up by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which said “acceptance of cheating at all levels is widespread” in Russia.

The report describes Russian intelligence agency’s allegedly destroying lab results, intimidating workers at drug testing labs and working in cahoots with others to bribe anti-doping officials.

The report recommended that the medals won in the London 2012 Olympic Games and other international competitions be stripped from allegedly cheating Russian athletes, which could mean athletes who missed out might be awarded medals.

Earlier this week, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) asked IAAF to initiate disciplinary procedures against Olympic athletes and officials who are accused of doping in the report.

“With its zero-tolerance policy against doping, following the conclusion of this procedure, the IOC will take all the necessary measures and sanctions with regard to the withdrawal and reallocation of medals and as the case may be exclusion of coaches and officials from future Olympic Games,” the International Olympic Committee said.

Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organization, has also launched criminal investigations based on the WADA report.

While the fate of Russia’s athletes remains unknown for now, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia needs to cooperate with the IOC and the IAAF “as openly as it could.”

Putin also said clean athletes should be allowed to compete and asked Russian sports officials to initiate an internal investigation into the doping report allegations.