WADA confirms Moscow lab data

The World Anti-Doping Agency has confirmed the authenticity of intelligence received last month relating to a Russian state doping program in the run-up to the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.

"We have completed the forensic investigation and can now confirm the authenticity of the database," WADA chief investigator Guenter Younger told German broadcaster ARD, in a report to be shown Sunday.

WADA previously said its intelligence and investigations department was in possession of an electronic file it was confident was the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) database of the Moscow Laboratory from January 2012 to August 2015.

"The content seems to confirm whistleblower (Grigory) Rodchenkov's claim that for several years, from 2012 to 2015, measures have been taken to protect allegedly doped Russian athletes," said Younger.

"The investigation will continue."

The International Olympic Committee will announce a ruling on Russian participation at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games on Tuesday. It refrained from a blanket ban for the Rio 2016 summer Games.

The new evidence could lead to further sanctions against Russian athletes before the Pyeongchang Games.

"That will be our priority, as soon as we have athletes we can actually track, winter sports will of course be one of the top priorities," Younger said.

The IOC has recently considered the cases of Russian athletes whose doping samples were swapped in Sochi and banned them for life from the Games based on "forensic and analytical investigations" rather than failed doping tests.

Russia has continually dismissed allegations of state-sponsored doping and is seeking the extradition of Rodchenkov from the United States.