Russia Aids French Investigation into IAAF Scandal

(ATR) Russian prosecutors have sent documents to French justice authorities to help in their probe into alleged corruption at the IAAF.

The general prosecutor’s office is said by Russian media to be cooperating following the French Justice Ministry’s request for legal assistance in November. It followed Russia’s suspension by the IAAF in the wake of a WADA Independent Commission report alleging state-sponsored doping and inaction of the IAAF and Russia athletics federation to root out doping cheats.

Russian media reports say information has been handed over about All-Russia Athletics Federation officials, who are accused of involvement in corruption and state-backed cover-ups of doping violations.

Papa Massata Diack, the son of the disgraced former IAAF president Lamine Diack, and two other top officials – ex-Russian athletics federation chief Valentin Balakhnichev and ex-Russian long-distance running coach Alexei Melnikov – received lifetime bans in January over allegations they covered up Russian doping violations.

The IAAF Council upheld its ban on Russia earlier this month, barring its athletics team from competing at the Rio Olympics.

The IOC endorsed the move at the Olympic Summit last week but left the door open for Russian athletes who have trained outside the corrupt anti-doping regime to be eligible for Rio subject to extra drug tests and individual evaluation.

Reported by Mark Bisson

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