MOSCOW: Vladimir Putin canceled a meeting with the country's sports leaders because of heavy rain in Sochi on Wednesday.
The Russian president had been due to discuss the doping allegations published Monday in the World Anti-Doping Agency commission's report. Because of the report, which accused Russia of operating a vast state-sponsored doping program, the country's track and field team is facing possible exclusion from next year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
According to Russian state news agencies, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the reason for the cancellation was heavy rain that has restricted flights in and out of Sochi, the host city of last year's Winter Olympics.
"The decision was taken by the president to continue his working timetable," Peskov said in comments reported by the RIA Novosti agency.
Putin had been due to meet with track federation coach Yuri Borzakovsky and other Russian sports leaders in Sochi. The plane carrying the sports officials was forced to land in the city of Mineralnye Vody, where they have instead arranged a meeting with Russian Olympic Committee president Alexander Zhukov.
Peskov added that Putin would be briefed and may hold another meeting on sports and doping issues later in the day, depending on how the weather conditions develop.
On Friday, track's governing body is scheduled to decide whether to suspend Russia, the first step toward preventing the country from competing on the track at the Olympics in Rio.