Anti-doping leader warns of further action against Russia

The head of the World Anti-Doping Agency has warned that Russia could face further sanctions with the upcoming release of yet another report on the doping scandal in that country.

There have been suggestions that the entire Russian contingent be banned from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro this summer.

Sir Craig Reedie, president of the World Anti-Doping Agency, said Monday that his organization would pay close attention to the investigation by independent overseer Richard McLaren into allegations of cheating at a Russian drug-testing lab during the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.

“If his report indicates transgressions of any kind, then there will be a precedent-setting opportunity to demonstrate our collective commitment to cleaning up sport,” Reedie told a WADA symposium in London. “The world will be watching.”

Late last week, international track officials upheld a suspension that precludes the Russian track team from competing in Rio. WADA and the International Olympic Committee have voiced their support for the ban.

Two Russian race walkers filed appeals over the weekend, with additional legal challenges possible in coming days.

The McLaren report is scheduled for completion no later than mid-July.

Reedie said that “sport has had to take one long, hard look in the mirror.”

Plenty of tickets left

One of the challenges facing a host committee is selling tickets to events that a lot of the population doesn’t know well or even care about.

Until Monday, tickets were available online only. Now, the first brick-and-mortar ticket-selling store has opened in Rio de Janeiro. Organizers say they will open 30 ticket stores in Brasilia, Manaus, Salvador and Sao Paulo over the next few weeks.

Slow ticket sales are nothing new to the Olympics. One week before the 2008 Games in Beijing, a million tickets remained unsold. London in 2012 also had its share of empty seats for the TV cameras.

According to Donovan Ferreti, ticketing director for these Games, there are still 1.8 million unsold tickets.

Interest in the Games is often stagnant in the weeks leading up to them. The opening ceremony remains the toughest ticket, usually followed by swimming or whatever sport the host country is good at.

No doubt, among all the problems facing these Games, lack of ticket sales isn’t on the front burner.

Striving to qualify for Games

The U.S. Olympic trials for the more marquee sports get going this week with men’s gymnastics trials in St. Louis. The two days of competition are Thursday and Saturday. Women’s gymnastics will be held on July 8 and 10 in San Jose.

The swimming trials will start on Sunday and run until July 3. Heats and qualifying are held in the morning, with the finals at night.

The track and field trials in Eugene, Ore., will unofficially start June 30 with finals of the men’s and women’s 20-kilometer walk, but the meatier schedule goes the next day on July 1 and runs until July 10. July 5 is an off day. The celebrated 100-meter final for both the men and women will be on July 3.

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