Russia facing full expulsion from Rio Olympics after state-sponsored cover-up of athletes' drug use during 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics is confirmed by WADA report 

A two-month investigation commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency has uncovered evidence of 'state-directed, fail-safe' doping throughout Russian Olympic sport.

The investigation's chairman Richard McLaren delivered three main findings at a press conference in Toronto on Monday - that doped samples 'disappeared' from the anti-doping laboratory in Moscow, that they were swapped with clean samples at the laboratory for the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014 and that these plans were directed by the Russian sports ministry.

McLaren said there were at least 312 falsified results — with the cheating programme thought to have started in 2011.  One of the report's authors also revealed that multiple medal winners were involved but WADA are yet to confirm their identities. 

Russian Ministry of Sport manipulated athletes' urine samples during 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics 

Canadian law professor and sports lawyer Richard McLaren reads out his findings during a press conference

McLaren gesticulates as he addresses the media after releasing his report on Russian doping 

Canadian law professor and sports lawyer McLaren said he had 'unwavering confidence' in his findings, which will surely lead to even louder calls for Russia to be completely banned from the Rio Olympics. 

McLaren, who also worked on the initial investigation into Russian athletics which led to a competition ban, said his team had used forensic analysis, seized computers, studied data and performed extra tests on stored samples from the Sochi Games and other major events.

This investigation was set up in May following an interview in the New York Times with the former director of Moscow's anti-doping laboratory, Grigory Rodchenkov, in which he described an elaborate plan to ensure Russian success at Sochi 2014. 

Rodchenkov claimed that the Russian secret service (FSB) had worked out how to open and re-seal the supposedly tamper-proof bottles that are used for storing urine samples so that the contents could be replaced with 'clean' urine.

To prove this allegation, McLaren sent a random amount of samples from 'protected Russian athletes' at Sochi 2014 stored by the anti-doping laboratory in Lausanne, Switzerland, to a lab in London to see if they had scratch marks around the necks of the bottles that would indicate they had been manipulated.

McLaren said '100 per cent of the bottles had been scratched' although added that this would 'not have been visible to the untrained eye'. 

The IAAF, track's world governing body, suspended Russia in November after a World Anti-Doping Agency report detailed widespread, state-sponsored doping in Russian track and field. The ban was upheld by the IAAF in a vote last month.

The WADA report shows how the 'disappearing positive' results were distributed across many sports

Journalists look over the World Anti-Doping Agency's report during the Toronto news conference

McLaren answers questions from the media as investigator Martin Dubbey (right) watches on

The IAAF ban already allows a small number of Russians to compete at the Rio Olympics if they can show they have been based outside the country and subject to testing from a respected, non-Russian anti-doping agency.

The ROC's legal department head Alexandra Brilliantova said earlier this month that she believed only two Russians would currently fit the criteria out of more than 80 who have applied to the IAAF.

While Brilliantova did not name the duo, they are likely to be the US-based long jumper Daria Klishina, who is a two-time European indoor champion, and the Italy-based pole vaulter Alyona Lutkovskaya.

In addition, the IAAF has already approved an application from Russian athlete and doping whistleblower Yulia Stepanova, whose testimony of doping within the Russian team, including undercover footage of apparent doping confessions, formed an important part of the evidence against Russia in the WADA investigation.  

PAST MAJOR OLYMPIC GAMES CONTROVERSIES  

The Olympic motto urges athletes to aim faster, higher and stronger but over the years, some have taken that to extreme lengths.

Here, Sportsmail guides you through the most infamous controversies that have blighted the Games.

JIM JAMMED

Native American athlete Jim Thorpe won pentathlon and decathlon gold at the 1912 Games, but was subsequently stripped of his medals and records after it was discovered he had played professional baseball. In 1983, 30 years after Thorpe's death, the International Olympic Committee finally announced that Thorpe's Olympic medals had been restored.

BLACK POWER

American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their gloved fists on the podium for the 200 metres medal ceremony at the 1968 Mexico City Games in what was widely seen to be a 'Black Power' salute. Australian silver medallist Peter Norman wore a human rights badge to show his support. Deemed to have made a political gesture, the US athletes were expelled from the Games.

Tommie Smith (centre) and John Carlos (right) raise their gloved fists in the Black Power salute

COLD WAR

With the Cold War at its height, the USSR ended American dominance of Olympic basketball in controversial fashion at the 1972 Munich Games. The buzzer went and the USA thought they had won by one point. But amid confusion over a Soviet time-out, the clock was re-set to three seconds. Alexander Belov duly sunk the winning basket. To this day, most of the USA team refuse to accept their silver medals. The Munich massacre took the headlines away from sport as 11 members of Israel's Olympic team were taken hostage and later killed by Palestinian terrorist group Black September, who demanded 234 jailed prisoners were released.  

Eleven members of Israel's Olympic team were taken hostage and later killed during the 1972 Games

BIG BEN

Ben Johnson blazed to 100m gold at the 1988 Seoul Games in a new world record time of 9.79 seconds. His time was immediately questioned by silver medallist Carl Lewis, and three days later Johnson was disqualified after testing positive for the steroid stanozolol. Lewis was upgraded to the gold medal and Briton Linford Christie took silver.

Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson was found to have cheated during his gold medal win at the 1988 Games

ROY RAGE

American Roy Jones Jr dominated the light-middleweight final at the 1988 Seoul Games, but gold was awarded to home favourite Park Si-hun. Even Park tried to apologise to Jones afterwards. Despite all three judges being suspended, and Jones being awarded the Val Barker Trophy for best boxer of the tournament, the IOC still stands by the original decision.

EVERY LORZ WINS

American Fred Lorz dropped out of the 1904 Olympic marathon after nine miles, and returned to the stadium by car to collect his clothes. Upon re-entering the stadium, he was mistakenly identified as the winner, and went along with the confusion by breasting the tape. Lorz was banned for life, but later reinstated after insisting his actions were meant in jest.

SUMMER BOYCOTT

US president Jimmy Carter ensured his country and many other nations boycotted the 1980 summer Olympic Games due to the prestigious event taking place in Moscow, the capital of the Soviet Union. Just 80 countries participated due to the host nation.