Irish athletics boss Patsy McGonagle fears doping crisis extends beyond Russia

The Ireland athletics team manager fears the unfolding doping and corruption scandal may extend beyond Russia, who were accused yesterday of “sabotaging” the London Games.

Responding to the independent commission report released by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Patsy McGonagle, who led the Irish athletics team at the 2012 Olympics, told Highland Radio: “I have to say, this may not be confined to Russia. The commission did say today that there were other countries suspected of high levels of doping so this is serious and the sport needs to deal with it in a very, very, very serious manner in the interest of the young people [who will] become involved and who are involved in the sport.”

Russia faces being banned from the Rio 2016 Olympics after the WADA investigation revealed “state-sponsored” doping on a wide scale, including the destruction of more than 1,400 athlete samples in a Moscow laboratory.