From Inside the Games

Russian officials have insisted they are committed to anti-doping initiatives after hosting a meeting with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) have confirmed that they met with an IOC delegation in Moscow.

Pere Miró, the IOC’s deputy director general for relations with the Olympic Movement, attended and was met by ROC President Alexander Zhukov and Stanislav Pozdnyakov, first vice-president of the ROC.

A wide range of topics were discussed, including the “priority areas” of further cooperation between the two organisations following the ROC’s reinstatement by the IOC.

Russia was forced to compete neutrally as the Olympic Athletes of Russia (OAR) at the Winter Olympics in in Pyeongchang February after the IOC suspended them.

This came after their alleged manipulation of the doping programme at their home Winter Olympics at Sochi in 2014.

The IOC controversially reinstated the ROC just three days after Pyeongchang 2018, however.

It came despite Russia failing to officially acknowledge the findings of the McLaren Report, which accused the country of state-supported doping.

Additionally, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) are still ruled to be non-compliant by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Miró claimed that positive discussion had been held between the two organisations, according to a ROC press release.

“The ROC is one of the major and more important National Olympic Committees of the world,” he said.

“In recent years it has been carrying out a large number of activities and projects, helping in a very effective manner to the development of the sport and Olympism in Russia.

“Following our discussions, we have been informed that the ROC is ready to take a very important role in promoting anti-doping educational programmes in Russia.

“This will be particularly focused on young athletes, their coaches, their entourage, and National Sport Federations.”

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