Sport security

Russian intelligence services swapped urine samples at Sochi Olympics: report

Dozens of Russian athletes who competed at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, including at least 15 medal winners, were part of a state-run doping program that included swapping out urine samples, the New York Times has reported.

The report comes months after revelations by an independent World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) commission last November of widespread state-sponsored doping in Russia, which led to a ban on the country competing in international athletics competitions.

Unless that ban is lifted, Russian athletics competitors will miss the Rio Olympics in Brazil, set to run August 5-21.

According to the New York Times report, which is based largely on evidence from the director of the country's anti-doping laboratory during the Sochi Olympics, those involved included some of Russia's biggest stars of the Games, including 14 members of its cross-country ski team and two veteran bobsledders who won two golds...