Russia doping scandal: Second part of McLaren report due in December, says WADA

Montreal: The second part of Richard McLaren’s report on accusations of widespread state-backed doping in Russia is expected to be released in December, the World Anti-Doping Agency said on Wednesday. “Professor Richard H. McLaren announces that he expects to release the ‘McLaren Investigation Report, Part II’, by mid-December 2016,” a statement from the Montreal-based anti-doping body said. [caption id=“attachment_2937962” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo of Richard McLaren. Reuters[/caption] “More details will follow in the weeks ahead.” It had been thought that McLaren’s latest report might be released prior to WADA’s board meeting on 19-20 November. WADA commissioned two reports from Canadian law professor McLaren, the first to determine the facts with respect to allegations of Russian state manipulation of the doping control process made Grigory Rodchenkov, the former director of the WADA-accredited laboratory in Moscow. McLaren found evidence of a government backed scheme in Russia said to include tampering with doping tests at their home Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Thirty sports were caught up in the controversy, leading to a ban on Russian athletics from international competition and the ban of dozens of Russian competitors in a variety of sports at the Rio Olympics this year. WADA did not say what the second part of the McLaren’s report would focus on. Russia has denied accusations of state-sanctioned doping and is fighting to get back into international athletics.