All news

Russian foreign minister links doping scandals to dishonest competition on world arena

Lavrov stresses the need to struggle for rightness without cheating
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov  Alexandr Sherbak/TASS
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
© Alexandr Sherbak/TASS

VLADIMIR, July 22. /TASS/. Doping scandals have become the manifestation of unfair competition on the international scene, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.

"Unfair competition exists and we now witness this in very diverse manifestations, including, incidentally, doping scandals," Lavrov said at a forum titled: "Territory of Meanings on the Klyazma."

"Aside from normal competition, which should be both inside and outside the country, there is dishonest struggle," the Russian foreign minister said, citing "doping scandals" as an example.

"But life is a struggle and we need to continue struggling, especially as we are safeguarding our rightness honestly and are not trying to cheat," Lavrov said.

Doping scandal

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne announced on Thursday it had rejected a lawsuit filed by the Russian Olympic Committee and 68 Russian athletes challenging the decision by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to bar them from international competitions, including the Olympic Games in Brazil amid doping allegations.

Under the court’s decision, the Russian Olympic Committee may not include field and track athletes failing to meet the IAAF’s criteria in the national team’s roster for the Olympic Games. The court’s judgment says that the Russian Olympic Committee may file an appeal within 30 days to the Federal Court of Switzerland.