Rio 2016 Olympics: Vladimir Putin says 'no place for doping in sport'
Vladimir Putin says officials named in the McLaren report will be suspended, pending a thorough investigation Russian President Vladimir Putin said "there can be no place for doping in sport" after his country's athletes were told their ban from this summer's Olympics remained in place. Russian track and field athletes are banned from Rio 2016 after claims of a state-sponsored doping programme. Putin said: "Sport must be clean and the health of athletes must be reliably protected." He wants Vitaly Smirnov, 81, to lead a new anti-doping commission. Smirnov is an honorary International Olympic Committee (IOC) member and an experienced Russian and Soviet sports administrator. Putin said he had an "absolutely unimpeachable reputation'' and "the trust and respect of the Olympic family". The Russian leader wants the new commission to provide "rapid development and tough control for the effective realisation of a natio...