The World Anti-Doping Agency has cleared 95 Russian athletes of doping charges because it lacked sufficient evidence to support the allegations, an internal WADA report obtained by the New York Times says.

An independent report by WADA in 2016 accused Russia of running a “state-sponsored doping program” to cover up positive drug tests for its athletes at major international competitions.

A day before the opening ceremony of the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, the International Olympic Committee barred 167 Russian athletes from participating on account of doping charges and imposed a blanket ban on the paralympic team. Lawyer Richard McLaren, who has been leading an investigation into Russian doping, identified upwards of 1,000 implicated athletes.

