Russia

Anders Besseberg has said he will stand down as president of the International Biathlon Union (IBU) after confirming that an investigation into the world governing body is focused on “doping issues”.

The Russian government said it plans to spend 16.65 billion rubles (€233.6m/$290.6m) on a legacy programme for the 2018 Fifa World Cup in an effort to ensure stadia developed for the national team football tournament do not become white elephants after the event.

Alexey Sorokin, chief executive of the local organising committee for the 2018 Fifa World Cup, has maintained that the fallout from the attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in England last month will not adversely affect international cooperation on security matters for this summer’s national team football tournament.

Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) has cut a further two clubs and has lowered its salary cap as it seeks to reposition itself and reduce its reliance on funding from state-owned entities.

Fifa, football’s global governing body, has spoken out over its concerns that the Samara Arena in Russia will not be ready in time to host matches during this summer’s edition of its showpiece World Cup.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has said it will not waver from its two key demands in the roadmap to rehabilitate the Russian anti-doping system, as senior figures again expressed their frustration at the response from authorities in the country.

Fifa has confirmed that video assistant referees (VARs) will be used at the World Cup for the first time later this year in Russia as the council of football’s global governing body signed off on a net loss of $192m (€156m) for 2017.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has today (Tuesday) upheld its suspension of the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) and has threatened to eject the body from the organisation amid mounting frustration at the stance of Russian officials over the country’s doping scandal.

Arkady Dvorkovich has been appointed as the new chairman of Russia’s local organising committee (LOC) for the 2018 Fifa World Cup as fellow Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko relinquished another senior role in football.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB), which oversees the rules of the sport, has approved the use of video replays to help referees at this year’s Fifa World Cup in Russia.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has moved to reinstate the membership of the Russian Olympic Committee, with ROC president Alexander Zhukov thanking the country’s athletes and fans for not committing acts that could have resulted in further sanctions.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has approved applications from 30 Russian athletes to compete under neutral status at the forthcoming winter Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) yesterday (Sunday) declined to allow Russia to parade under its own flag at the closing ceremony for the 2018 winter Olympic Games, but the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) is expected to have its suspension lifted in the coming days.

The US biathlon team has opted to boycott the upcoming World Cup Final in Tyumen, labelling the decision to not strip the Russian city of the event as “completely unacceptable” amid ongoing investigations into the country’s doping scandal.

Bobsledder Nadezhda Sergeeva has today (Friday) become the second Russian athlete to return a positive doping test at the 2018 winter Olympic Games, just hours before the International Olympic Committee (IOC) meets to decide whether to reinstate the country in time for Sunday’s closing ceremony.

The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) has today (Thursday) said it has paid in full a demand for $15m (€12.1m) made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as speculation mounts that the country’s athletes may be able to march behind the Russian flag at the closing ceremony for the ongoing winter Olympic Games.