Vladimir Putin: Russian president wants doping investigation

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered an investigation into claims the country's athletes have been part of a systematic doping programme. "I ask the minister of sport and all our colleagues who are linked in one way or another with sport to pay this issue the greatest possible attention," he said, before a meeting sports officials in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. "It is essential that we conduct our own internal investigation and - I want to underline - provide the most open professional co-operation with international anti-doping structures." But International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach said on Wednesday his organisation had "no authority" to take such action, and the matter was solely for the IAAF to deal with.