Putin: Doping allegations 'US plot against Russian election'

Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin has suspect the North American country of inventing doping allegations against Russian athletes in an effort to influence next year's presidential election.

He was touching on life bans obligatory by Olympic officers on four Russian cross-country skiers on Thursday.

Mr Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin aforementioned the move was a North American country response to "imaginary interference in their election".

US officers square measure inquiring alleged Russian involvement within the 2016 poll.

US intelligence agencies aforementioned earlier this year the Russian government had sought-after to assist Donald Trump win the election.

An investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller is wanting into any links between Russia and therefore the Trump campaign.

Russia: The 'cloud' over the White House

How Trump's Russia hassle unfolded 

Mr Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin has not nevertheless aforementioned whether or not he can represent re-election. However, he's wide expected to square and win.

The Russian president advised the temporal arrangement of the Russian election, in March 2018, meant that a doping scandal coinciding with the run-up to next February's Olympiad in Asian country might be accustomed sow disaffection among sportspeople.

The North American country was home to "the main firms that order and buy tv rights, the most sponsors and advertisers", he said.

"In response to our imagined interference in their election, [the US] needs to form issues within the Russian presidential election," he added.

Mr Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin was speaking shortly when four Russian skiers were found guilty of doping by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and illegal always from the athletics.

Maxim Vylegzhanin, Alexei Petukhov, Evgenia Shapovalova and Yulia Ivanova were all sanctioned following doping investigations into Sochi 2014.

The four were named within the McLaren report last December, that alleges that a state-sponsored doping programme existed in Russia between 2011 and 2015.

Fellow cross-country skiers Alexander Legkov and Evgeniy Belov had time period Olympic bans confirmed by the IOC earlier this month.

Russia free a full ban at the 2016 city athletics however continues to be barred from competitive  in international athletics events