Russia in new drugs scandal ahead of Rio Olympics

Russia was facing new pressure today to clean up its act before this summer’s Olympics after claims that its swimmers had been involved in organised drug use over the past decade.

The country’s athletics squad is facing a fight to have its ban from international competition lifted before the Games in Rio de Janeiro after a World Anti-Doping Agency investigation last year revealed state-backed doping.

Now the attention has turned to swimming with The Times saying it had uncovered systematic drug use in the sport.

In the past decade there have been more than 40 positive tests for Russian swimmers — the worst record of any country in the sport. Yuliya Efimova, the Olympic medal favourite in breaststroke, is facing a life ban after testing positive for meldonium, having served a 16‑month ban for steriods.

The Times alleged that Dr Sergei Portugalov, chief of the Russian Athletics Federation’s Medical Commission, “actively encouraged the national swimming team to adopt a systematic doping policy.”

In November, the WADA commission into doping in Russian athletics recommended that Dr Portugalov should be given a lifetime ban from sport due to his role in that scandal.

The Times also claimed that a witness alleged of a “poolside apothecary” at one competition in Moscow to provide “pills and medicines”.

The chief executive of British Swimming David Sparkes said that it was vital for governing bodies to cooperate with FINA, the sport’s ruling organisation, and WADA to tackle the issue of drugs.

“British Swimming remains committed to working with FINA and all anti-doping agencies to ensure and maintain a clean sport,” he said.

“The number of cases reported around the world together with action taken is indicative of the strong position taken by the sport of swimming.”

Jon Rudd, the head coach of England’s Commonwealth Games, told The Times that FINA had to take a tougher stance.

“I’m blown away by these revelations,” Rudd said. “It is like an alien world compared to that in Britain.

“Unless FINA take our sport, the sport we love, in their hands, nurture it, back clean swimming and treat doping with a robust, impenetrable and fiercely determined approach aimed at cutting out the rot, then we are all banging our heads against the wall.”

Russian Swimming Federation President Vladimir Salnikov, a quadruple Olympic gold medallist, and the authority’s spokeswoman Margarita Balakireva were not immediately available for comment.

The report comes only a day after Russia’s wrestling federation said there were “tens” of positive tests among its athletes would could miss out on the Olympics.

Russian sport was thrown into turmoil last year when a report by WADA exposed endemic cheating and corruption in Russian athletics. Being suspended from the Olympics would be a humiliating blow to sporting superpower.