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Anti-doping officials start work on copying lab data from Russia: RIA

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Officials from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have begun working with Russian experts on the process of obtaining data from Moscow's former anti-doping laboratory, Pavel Kolobkov, Russia's sports minister, said on Thursday, RIA reported. Russia had been due to hand over the data to WADA by the end of 2018 in order for RUSADA, its national anti-doping agency, to keep its accreditation. But WADA officials returned empty-handed last month. "The (new) delegation of WADA experts flew in yesterday," RIA cited Kolobkov as saying. "Today, the joint expert group got down to work. Work on setting up the equipment has begun, including on copying the databases." The work should be completed in the next three days, RIA cited him as saying. (Reporting by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Andrew Osborn)