Washington-Sana
The Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Washington, Anatoly Antonov, described the news published by the American media about the use of doping by Russian athletes in the Tokyo Olympics as "baseless speculation."
In a statement published on the official page of the Russian diplomatic mission on Facebook, Antonov stressed that such publications in the American media raise eyebrows and bewilderment.
He stressed that, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency, Russians remain among the most tested athletes for doping at the current Olympic Games and win medals in fair and honest competitions.
"Attempts to discredit the achievements of Russian athletes are dictated by the desire to get rid of fair competition, and this approach is not in keeping with the spirit of the Olympic movement," Antonov said.
Yesterday, Russian Yevgeny Rylov won the gold medal in the 200-meter backstroke at the Olympic Games, and the silver medal was won by American swimmer Ryan Murphy, who later said, "The competition was unfair and Russian athletes are not allowed to participate in the Olympics because of the doping scandal."
For his part, the Chairman of the Committee on Physical Education, Sports, Tourism and Youth Affairs of the State Duma, Boris Paikin, in an interview with Russia Today, criticized the statement of the American athlete and stressed that it “does not bring honor to him.”