Russia’s anti-doping agency uncovered 100 possible doping violations in 2016, 79 of which likely involved the use of the performance-enhancing substance meldonium.
More than 1,500 Russian athletes across 32 disciplines were tested for doping last year, RUSADA’s 2016 annual report, obtained by the state-run TASS news agency, states.
More than 3,000 samples were collected by anti-doping monitors under the supervision of the British anti-doping agency UKAD, the report said. Most of the samples were collected from track-and-field athletes and athletes with disabilities.
A report released by WADA in July 2016 linked more than a thousand Russian athletes across 30 sports to the use of performance-enhancing drugs or concealing positive samples.
The investigation also found evidence that 12 Russian athletes who won medals at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi had substituted urine samples prior to testing.
The findings led to dozens of Russian athletes being barred from competing in the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil and a blanket ban for the paralympic team.
In June 2017, WADA allowed the Russian agency to plan and coordinate doping tests under the supervision of UKAD. WADA is expected to review the Russian anti-doping agency’s compliance with its anti-doping code this November.
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