British body to take control of Russian drug tests

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's anti-doping body UKAD will take charge of testing Russian athletes while the local agency is suspended for non-compliance following allegations of widespread doping in the country. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Wednesday that an agreement between it, UKAD and Russia's agency RUSADA had been signed. Russia is currently suspended from world athletics and will only be allowed to compete at the Rio Olympics if the ban imposed by the governing IAAF is lifted in time for the Aug. 5-21 Games. "RUSADA and UKAD are in the final stages of agreeing on the detail required to deliver a testing programme during RUSADA’s period of non-compliance," WADA said. The world agency said UKAD "will ensure that targeted and intelligence-led testing is carried out on Russian athletes, and is responsible for continued coordination with the appropriate sport federations during this period. "Results management of all cases will be managed by a designated independent body, with full oversight by WADA." WADA suspended the Russian Anti-Doping Agency for non-compliance in November following a damning independent commission report. The report found cover-ups, bribes to conceal positive tests, destruction of samples and evidence of Russian state security services colluding with the country's athletics federation to enable athletes to freely dope. RUSADA's top managers stepped down in December. The body resumed some of its responsibilities last month. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ed Osmond)