Doping: Russia lose rights to biathlon and speed skating meet over McLaren report

The Czech Republic has joined Britain in boycotting the biathlon event, which was set to be hosted in Tyumen

Russia has lost hosting rights to two international sporting events in the wake of the McLaren report into doping.

The country gave up a World Cup biathlon meeting set to be held in March and was stripped of a speed skating meet for the same month.

Britain withdrew from the biathlon event on Wednesday, citing "dishonest comments" from Russian athletes.

The report claims more than 1,000 Russians benefited from state-sponsored doping between 2011 and 2015.

Despite the Russian Biathlon Union saying the country should "only be punished if our guilt can be properly proved", the move was welcomed by Anders Besseberg, president of the International Biathlon Union.

"This is a first important step by the RBU to show to the IBU and to the world of sport that the current situation is taken very seriously," he said.

The biathlon event was scheduled to be held in Tyumen with the speed skating in Chelyabinsk.

On 14 December, Russia also lost the right to host the 2017 bobsleigh and skeleton World Championships.