Russian athletics teams suspended from competition

After a 22–1 vote by the IAAF governing board, Russia’s track and field federation has been suspended from international competition.

The suspension comes on the heels of a report released Monday by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) that found “a deeply rooted culture of cheating” in Russian athletics and evidence of widespread doping.

“This has been a shameful wake up call and we are clear that cheating at any level will not be tolerated,” said IAAF president Sebastian Coe. “There can be no more important focus for our sport.”

According to the BBC, the provisional suspension will bar Russian athletes and support personnel from competing in the 2016 Olympic Games and other international competitions.

The 325-page WADA report noted “corruption and bribery practices at the highest levels of international athletics.” WADA investigators found evidence of the destruction of more than 1,400 Russian doping control samples, and uncovered evidence of a shadow laboratory used to doctor athletes’ blood test results. The head of Russia’s anti-doping lab resigned this week.

Former IAAF leaders were also implicated in the report, including former IAAF president Lamine Diack. Diack resigned in August after 16 years at the organization’s helm and is now under investigation by French police for suspicion of bribery. The bulk of the report’s section pertaining to the IAAF was not published due to an ongoing criminal investigation.