Russia loses two Olympics medals

MOSCOW, November 9 

Russia has been stripped of two Olympics medals won at the 2014 Sochi Games after four cross-country skiers were found guilty of doping by the International Olympic Committee, R-Sport news agency reported on Thursday. The head of Russia’s cross-country skiing federation, Elena Valbe, told R-Sport skiers Maxim Vylegzhanin, Alexei Petukhov, Evgenia Shapovalova and Yulia Ivanova had been disqualified and their results annuled over doping. 

Doping allegations meant to stir discontent: Putin 

Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that allegations of a state-sponsored doping programme in Russia were an attempt to sow discontent ahead of the country’s presidential elections.

“The (Winter) Olympics start in February, and when are our presidential elections? In March,” RIA Novosti state news agency quoted Putin as saying. “There are big suspicions that all this is being done to create for someone the necessary conditions for discontent among sport lovers, athletes.”  — Reuters