Athletics doping scandal: UK Anti-Doping to help Wada in Russia

UK Anti-Doping has said it will help the World Anti-Doping Agency carry out reforms in Russia.

Russia was banned from international competition in November after a Wada commission examined claims of widespread doping, cover-ups and and extortion.

A Ukad spokesperson said: "Ukad has been asked by Wada to be part of an evaluation visit to Russia.

"It will explore ways and means of how an anti-doping programme can be run."

Russia, which said in November it is "fully committed" to reforms, faces exclusion from next year's Rio Olympics if not declared compliant.

Wada began work in Moscow on Thursday, with Russian Olympic Committee president Alexander Zhukov confirming that the agency would "determine which international organisations will oversee doping controls in the country".

The Russian anti-doping agency, Rusada, and the anti-doping laboratory were suspended after the Wada report.

Ukad will look into how a Russian anti-doping programme could work "during a period of non-compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code".