MOSCOW, Feb 13 - Russia's sports and Olympic chiefs have agreed to elect a new national rowing body in order to avoid a four-year ban on their athletes. Last week, the International Rowing Federation (FISA) threatened Russia with the ban, which would keep the entire rowing team out of the Beijing Olympics, after nine Russian athletes were found guilty of doping violations in a 12-month period. FISA offered the Russians a chance to avoid the suspension by electing a new national rowing federation. It gave them until Friday to accept the offer and until March 31 to appoint a new rowing board and team staff. On Wednesday, the president of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Leonid Tyagachyov and Sports Minister Vyacheslav Fetisov said they had accepted the offer. In a letter to FISA president Denis Oswald, Tyagachyov and Fetisov said: "The sports ministry and ROC fully back FISA's efforts in a fight against doping and condemn the violations of the anti-doping code by Russian rowers and officials. "Taking into account the (negative) role of the Russian rowing federation (RRF) and its top officials, refusing to take responsibility for their actions, we have unanimously agreed to replace the entire RRF board by calling new elections." Five Russian rowers used intravenous injections at last year's World Cup in Lucerne where incriminating evidence was found in a rubbish bin outside the team's hotel. Three others were found guilty of breaking doping regulations at last year's world championships in Munich. All eight received two-year bans. Olga Samulenkova, a member of the women's quadruple sculls team who won the 2006 world title, tested positive for metabolites of the male sex hormone testosterone and was also banned for two years.
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