Russian track official accused of forging results

Published Aug. 23, 2019 10:48 a.m. ET

MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian athletics coach is under investigation after being accused of forging competition results to boost his athletes.

The Russian Athletics Federation says it's requested files from a regional competition this month in Siberia, where coach Vasily Shkurbitsky doubled as a competition referee.

A popular Russian track writer, Maxim Karamashev, earlier detailed what he said were major inconsistencies between preliminary results and final results sheets signed off by Shkurbitsky, which often served to make athletes he coached eligible for higher status in the Russian state sports system. Karamashev alleged the time of one athlete was slashed by over eight seconds for the 800 meters, a dramatic improvement.