Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has called for greater technology to assist national authorities fight doping in sport.
Speaking at a meeting of athletes in Sochi, Medvedev said, "The main problem of doping controls in Russia stems from the fact that the methods used here do not correspond to strict European standards."
During the days of the Soviet Union, the greater perception was of Russia as an area where doping was systemic and covered up. There were numerous cases of this during the 1970s and 80s that weren't discussed until the fall of the Communist regime in the early 1990s.
In late February, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin made a commitment to iunstitute more "stringent controls maintained by the state," while the Minister for Sport, Vital Mutko, has assured that by the end of the year Russia will have "built a modern anti-doping programme."
