Russia avoids new doping penalties over missed deadline: WADA

Russia will not face new penalties for missing a December deadline to allow investigators access to the Moscow laboratory at the centre of alleged state-sponsored doping, the World Anti-Doping Agency said Tuesday.

"Several members of the (Executive Committee) voiced their disappointment that the deadline had been missed but agreed that no sanction in that regard should be imposed," WADA President Craig Reedie said.

Reedie said "significant progress" had been made in "resolving the Russian doping matter", but WADA warned though that if any doping data from Russia was tampered with, it would take swift action.

Jonathan Taylor, who heads WADA's Compliance Review Committee, said: "If that review were to confirm tampering, the CRC would consider that to be extremely serious non-compliance and can be expected to recommend that WADA pursues the most stringent sanctions."