Results of probe into Russian doping to be issued Monday

TORONTO – The results of the latest investigation into Russian doping will be released on Monday.

Canadian law professor Richard McLaren will hold a news conference in Toronto to present the findings of his probe into alleged manipulation of doping samples in Russia.

McLaren was appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency to investigate allegations of a state-backed doping conspiracy involving the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of Moscow’s drug-testing laboratory, told the New York Times that he provided Russian athletes with steroids ahead of the Olympics and helped switch tainted samples for clean ones through a concealed hole in the wall of the Sochi lab.

Rodchenkov, who is now living in the United States, said he operated on instructions from Russia’s sports ministry, which denies the claim.

WADA has said that McLaren was given the authority to look into wider allegations of doping in Russia.

McLaren said last month that his preliminary findings supported allegations that the Russian sports ministry was involved in manipulating test results before, during and after the track world championships in Moscow in 2013.

If his final report uncovers further widespread, state-backed cheating in Russia, WADA could push for further action against Russia. The possibility of Russia’s entire team being excluded from the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro has been called the “nuclear option” by former WADA president Dick Pound.

Pound headed a separate independent WADA investigation that led to Russia’s track and field athletes being banned from international competition, including the Olympics.