Russia asked to explain alleged doping data tampering

MOSCOW (AP) — The deputy CEO of the Russian anti-doping agency says Russia has been formally asked to explain possible signs of tampering with data from its doping laboratory.

Margarita Pakhnotskaya tells The Associated Press that Russia has nearly three weeks to provide an account of why data handed over to the World Anti-Doping Agency doesn’t match a copy of the database which WADA had previously obtained from a whistleblower.

The Russian agency, known as RUSADA, was formally reinstated by WADA last year after a suspension due to widespread doping and cover-ups in Russian sports, including at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

The data was handed over to WADA in January after Russia breached an earlier deadline. It has already been used to bring cases against athletes in weightlifting and biathlon.