By Nick Butler
Two lawsuits will be reportedly submitted next week by the All-Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) against German television channel ARD after a documentary alleging systematic doping within the sport, the body's head has revealed.
Two lawsuits will be reportedly submitted next week by the All-Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) against German television channel ARD after a documentary alleging systematic doping within the sport, the body's head has revealed.
The allegations last month, which have prompted investigations by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA), have generated huge international publicity, particularly the claim that as many as 99 per cent of Russian athletes could be involved.
Several high profile names have since been implicated in scandals, including Olympic champion race-walkers Sergei Kirdyapkin, Olga Kaniskina and Sergei Bakulin, who were all handed bans for failed tests dating back to 2012.
London 2012 3,000m steeplechase champion Yulia Zaripova has also been absent from competition since 2013 over irregularities in her biological passport, with a final IAAF verdict due soon, insidethegames has been told.
But ARAF President Valentin Balakhnichev, who has so far resisted calls to stand down, has spoken out, doubting the legitimacy of evidence that appeared to implicate a vast number of athletes, including the reigning Olympic 800m champion, Maria Savinova.
Olympic champion Maria Savinova is among those seemingly implicated by the German TV documentary ©Getty Images
"We held consultations with German lawyers specialising on such cases," the official told news agency ITAR TASS.
"I believe that next week the Federation will submit two lawsuits against ARD.
"We speak about the non-intervention into a private life and casting aspersions on the Federation's reputation.
"We have been intimidated by accusations voiced in the film and will be seeking justice in court."
Meanwhile, a robust defence of the country's anti-doping body has been launched once again today by Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, who last week announced that a new Ministerial position would be set up specifically to combat the issue.
Mutko insisted that Russia remains among the world's top five countries in fight doping.
"We have opened the borders for officers of the WADA, adopted a special anti-doping legislation, created RUSADA - Russian Anti-Doping Agency, [which] is not controlled by anyone in our country, equipped with modern laboratories accredited by the IOC (International Olympic Committee)," he told Sports Express.
"Now, any violation of the rules will inevitably lead to the exposure, and it should be clear to all coaches and athletes."
London 2012 3,000m steeplechase champion Yulia Zaripova became the latest Russian to be embroiled in a doping scandal last week ©Getty Images
Mutko, a key figure involved in the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, who is also a member of the FIFA Executive Board, claimed no successor has yet been appointed for athletics head coach Valentin Maslakov, who stood down last week.
He also refused to criticise the nation's controversial race-walking coach Viktor Chegin, head of the Olympic Training Centre in Saransk, despite at least 20 of the athletes under his charge having been implicated in scandals, including Kirdyapkin, Kaniskina and Bakulin.
Mutko described Chegin as a coach "of the highest qualification", whose methods are "recognised regardless of the use or non-use of doping".
But interestingly, the Sports Minister was less committed when responding to questions about another doping case involving the 2011 world heptathlon champion Tatyana Chernova.
Rather than an outright denial of claims she would be the next athlete to be implicated, Mutko answered to Sports Express: "Let's not name any names before the official announcement - sometimes it is largely aggravates the situation, which is not yet fully clear".
Several high profile names have since been implicated in scandals, including Olympic champion race-walkers Sergei Kirdyapkin, Olga Kaniskina and Sergei Bakulin, who were all handed bans for failed tests dating back to 2012.
London 2012 3,000m steeplechase champion Yulia Zaripova has also been absent from competition since 2013 over irregularities in her biological passport, with a final IAAF verdict due soon, insidethegames has been told.
But ARAF President Valentin Balakhnichev, who has so far resisted calls to stand down, has spoken out, doubting the legitimacy of evidence that appeared to implicate a vast number of athletes, including the reigning Olympic 800m champion, Maria Savinova.
Olympic champion Maria Savinova is among those seemingly implicated by the German TV documentary ©Getty Images"We held consultations with German lawyers specialising on such cases," the official told news agency ITAR TASS.
"I believe that next week the Federation will submit two lawsuits against ARD.
"We speak about the non-intervention into a private life and casting aspersions on the Federation's reputation.
"We have been intimidated by accusations voiced in the film and will be seeking justice in court."
Meanwhile, a robust defence of the country's anti-doping body has been launched once again today by Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, who last week announced that a new Ministerial position would be set up specifically to combat the issue.
Mutko insisted that Russia remains among the world's top five countries in fight doping.
"We have opened the borders for officers of the WADA, adopted a special anti-doping legislation, created RUSADA - Russian Anti-Doping Agency, [which] is not controlled by anyone in our country, equipped with modern laboratories accredited by the IOC (International Olympic Committee)," he told Sports Express.
"Now, any violation of the rules will inevitably lead to the exposure, and it should be clear to all coaches and athletes."
London 2012 3,000m steeplechase champion Yulia Zaripova became the latest Russian to be embroiled in a doping scandal last week ©Getty ImagesMutko, a key figure involved in the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, who is also a member of the FIFA Executive Board, claimed no successor has yet been appointed for athletics head coach Valentin Maslakov, who stood down last week.
He also refused to criticise the nation's controversial race-walking coach Viktor Chegin, head of the Olympic Training Centre in Saransk, despite at least 20 of the athletes under his charge having been implicated in scandals, including Kirdyapkin, Kaniskina and Bakulin.
Mutko described Chegin as a coach "of the highest qualification", whose methods are "recognised regardless of the use or non-use of doping".
But interestingly, the Sports Minister was less committed when responding to questions about another doping case involving the 2011 world heptathlon champion Tatyana Chernova.
Rather than an outright denial of claims she would be the next athlete to be implicated, Mutko answered to Sports Express: "Let's not name any names before the official announcement - sometimes it is largely aggravates the situation, which is not yet fully clear".
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January 2015: Three Olympic champions among latest five Russian race walkers handed doping bans
