UK Anti-Doping reviewing Russian position
UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) on Friday said it was reviewing its role in Russia, amid fresh revelations of a vast state-run doping programme during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
The World Anti-Doping Agency appointed UKAD in February, long before the Sochi allegation surfaced, to take charge of drug testing in Russia after the country's own anti-doping agency, RUSADA, was declared non-compliant following a damning report carried out on behalf of the global body.
Russian track and field athletes are currently banned from competing in this year's summer Olympics in Rio.
The International Association of Athletics Federations will rule on whether to the maintain the ban on June 17.
UKAD have had problems gaining access to "closed cities" but officials insisted on Friday they would be carrying on their work.
"The UKAD board has discussed at length WADA's request to engage with Russia, and decided that undertaking testing in Russia, during RUSADA's period of non-compliance, was the correct thing to do in order to protect clean athletes," said a spokeswoman.
"The board discussed the risks associated with such an arrangement and those risks, and others, are regularly reviewed by the board, in addition to the progress being made.
"As with any agreement, termination is always a possibility if the circumstances change. At no stage has the UKAD board proposed withdrawing from this agreement."
UKAD conducted 247 tests in Russia in February, WADA figures show. An additional 426 tests were cancelled or declined.
Of the 247 tests, there have been 99 whereabouts failures and 49 adverse analytical findings -- 47 for the banned substance meldonium -- and one atypical finding.
Russia topped the medals table at Sochi with 33 medals, including 13 golds.
But a report in the New York Times said widespread performance-enhancing drug use by Russian athletes was covered up.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the allegations on Friday.
"These look like absolutely unsubstantiated claims," Peskov told journalists in response to the claims by Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of Russia's anti-doping laboratory.
Rodchenkov, fearing for his safety and currently living at a secret location in Los Angeles, made the sensational claims to the New York Times on Thursday.
He headed Russia's anti-doping laboratory from 2006 to November 2015 when he resigned after WADA accused the laboratory of being part of a state-sponsored doping programme.
Russia is not alone in facing questions over the rigour of its anti-doping procedures with Kenya, one of the world's leading distance running nations, also declared non-compliant with the WADA code.
WADA president Craig Reedie said the organisation had much work to do in a short space of time in order to allay concerns over the integrity of August's Olympic Games in Rio.
"We understand fully that, in the current climate, with new doping allegations surfacing, we have work to do to further secure athletes' confidence in clean sport," Reedie said on Thursday.
"We appreciate the sense of urgency in light of the upcoming Rio Games and I can assure you that we take this responsibility very seriously," the veteran British sports administrator said.