Report: Russian government covered up doping program

Close-up of a sprinter
(Image credit: iStock)

Renowned Russian athletes, including Olympians and winners of top sporting events such as the Chicago marathon, have been involved in a state-sponsored doping program for years, the World Anti-Doping Agency revealed in a report released Monday. The report alleges that the Russian government helped get drugs for athletes and covered up positive test results. It recommended that Russia be suspended from competition — including the 2016 Olympics.

Russia had more drug violation citations than any other nation in 2013, with 12 percent of the global infractions; most of those violations were by track and field athletes. The World Anti-Doping Agency's report comes amid several related scandals, including the recent suspension of five Russian athletes and a French criminal inquiry into the former president of track and field's international governing body.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.