Only individual athletes may be punished for doping: Putin

MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that only individual athletes should be punished for doping but not the entire country.

"Any punishment for doping should be individual, and if somebody is caught red handed, then it is absolutely natural and just," Putin said during his annual press conference, referring to the World Anti-Doping Agency's decision to ban Russia from global sports, including the Olympics, for four years. .

"But if an overwhelming majority of athletes here are 'clean', how can sanctions be applied against them?" he asked.

This is the 15th edition of the annual press conference held by Putin since he became the president of Russia in 2001. The high-profile event was attended by a record nearly 1,900 journalists from around the world this year.