Huge Russian doping corruption case finally reaches court

PARIS (AP) — One of the biggest sports corruption cases to reach court is being heard in Paris beginning Monday with explosive allegations of a massive doping cover-up at the top of track and field.

The two-week trial will hear evidence that Russian athletes paid millions of dollars to bury their suspected doping, so they could compete at the Olympic Games in 2012 and other competitions.

Accused recipients of the payments include Lamine Diack, who presided for nearly 16 years at track and field’s governing body.

Also expected in court are a lawyer who advised Diack and a doctor accused taking payments to delay doping cases.

Others are being tried in absentia. They include one of Diack’s sons, Papa Massata Diack.