Russia responds to track and field doping forgery charges

MONACO (AP) — Russia has responded to charges that leading track officials in the country helped forge documents to give an athlete an alibi for missing doping tests, the Athletics Integrity Unit said Friday.

The AIU, which oversees disciplinary issues in track and field, said it received the response on Thursday.

The AIU had given Russia an extension from the original deadline of Dec. 12 in the case, which has already led to the resignation of the national track federation’s president and could impact the country’s ability to compete in the sport at the Olympics in Tokyo.

Neither the AIU nor the federation have said exactly what the response contains.

Federation president Dmitry Shlyakhtin was among seven Russians charged in November with forgery of medical documents to help world indoor high jump champion Danil Lysenko. The federation itself faces possible expulsion by World Athletics.

The case is not linked to Russia’s alleged doctoring of doping data handed over to the World Anti-Doping Agency in January. WADA has banned Russia’s name and flag from major sports competitions in that case, which is the latest in a string of doping-related scandals for the country.