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Vitaly Mutko fires back at Britain for Olympic doping tests

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko slammed Britain’s doping control system yesterday, saying it is worse than Russia’s.

Monday’s report into Russian doping by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) commission said six athletes with previous suspicious test results competed at the London Olympics, where drug tests were handled by a British laboratory.

Mutko pointed out that if the Russian athletes were not caught during the Olympics, then “your system has zero value and is even worse than ours.”

He said: “Now we are hearing statements, including statements by British athletes, that the medals won by our athletes at the Olympic Games in London must be taken away.

“But it was the British system of doping control that operated there, it was their anti-doping organisation under the leadership of the IOC (International Olympic Committee).

“Each medal winner was tested for doping and received their medal only after having tested negative.”

Mutko is also the head of the 2018 World Cup organising committee and a member of the Fifa executive committee.

Responding to comments from English Football Association president Greg Dyke that Fifa should consider suspending the Russian minister’s membership, Mutko said it was “absurd.”

“So should I raise the issue of suspending the British football federation from Fifa?” Mutko asked.

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