Russian officials step up campaign to have their track athletes reinstated for Olympics

With the clock ticking, Russian officials are scrambling to make the case that their track and field athletes -- banned from international events -- should be allowed to compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

The country’s sports minister, Vitaly Mutko, used words such as “sorry” and “ashamed” in an editorial published by the Sunday Times of London over the weekend.

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“Serious mistakes have been made by the federation management, along with athletes and coaches who have broken anti-doping rules and neglected the principle of fair play, so fundamental to sport for immediate benefits,” Mutko wrote.

On Monday, a Russian senator proposed legislation that would criminalize doping and distribution of banned substances, according to the RT news channel in Russia.

The national track program was banned after the World Anti-Doping Agency issued a report alleging widespread cheating among athletes, coaches and officials. More recently, broadcast and newspaper reports have alleged systematic doping by Russian athletes at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

So far, a vow by Russian officials to make significant changes in the country’s sports and anti-doping infrastructure have been viewed with skepticism.

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The international track federation is scheduled to vote in mid-June on whether to reinstate the team’s eligibility in time for the Games, which begin Aug. 5 in Rio de Janeiro.

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