Russia doping crisis: President Vladimir Putin promises ‘open co-operation’ against drug cheats

Mr Putin said his government will ‘pay this issue the greatest attention’

Vladimir Putin said his government will ‘pay this issue the greatest attention’ (AP)

Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, has said his country needed to conduct its own investigation into allegations its athletes had systematically taken performance-enhancing substances and that someone needed to take personal responsibility for the problem.

Putin, in his first comments since the World Anti-Doping Agency levelled its accusations on Monday, said Russia should cooperate with international organisations looking into the issue as openly as it could.

“I ask the Minister of Sport and all our colleagues who are linked in one way or another with sport to pay this issue the greatest possible attention,” Putin said ahead of a meeting with sports officials in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

“It is essential that we conduct our own internal investigation and provide the most open – and I want to underline – the most open professional cooperation with international anti-doping structures.

“The battle must be open. A sporting contest is only interesting when it is honest.”

Meanwhile, distance runner Liliya Shobukhova said Russian officials rather than athletes should be punished in the wake of the Wada report.

Shobukhova recently completed a doping ban that was cut from three years and two months to two years and seven months after Wada said she had provided assistance in its investigations. The 37-year-old said: “How can you take away the opportunity of going to the Olympics from a young athlete who has dreamed all his life about this and has done nothing wrong?”