The World Anti-Doping Agency has recommended that the IAAF suspend Russia from all athletic competition due to what WADA said amounted to state sponsored doping.

Accusing the Russian government of "direct intimidation", it also highlighted what it said was a "deeply rooted culture of cheating."

In addition, the report revealed corruption and bribery at the highest levels of international athletics and said direct evidence against the IAAF had been passed to Interpol.

IAAF president Sebastian Coe has said he will seek urgent approval from the governing body's members to consider sanctions against Russia, which could include suspension.

While saying the IAAF "need time to properly digest and understand" the report, Coe said the information is alarming.

Coe said: "We will do whatever it takes to protect the clean athletes and rebuild trust in our sport. The IAAF will continue to offer the police authorities our full co-operation into their ongoing investigation."

The Russian federation will be asked to respond to the sanctions, with the IAAF Council then making decisions on next steps

Key findings

‘Deeply rooted culture’ of cheating

WADA says the acceptance of cheating at all levels is widespread and of long standing in Russia and that many of the worst offenders were former athletes who worked in conjunction with medical personnel. This ‘win at all costs’ mentality was then passed to current athletes, with those unwilling to participate finding themselves without top coaches and in turn the opportunity to excel.

The report says the mindset of cheating was “deeply ingrained in all levels of Russian athletics.”

Consistent and systematic use of performance enhancing drugs

Many athletes are accused of not filing accurate contact information for whereabouts purposes and many who clearly refused to cooperate with the investigation. The report confirmed allegations that some Russian doctors and/or laboratory personnel acted as enablers for systematic cheating along with athletics coaches. This Report also identifies the intentional and malicious destruction of more than 1,400 samples by Moscow laboratory officials.

Corruption and Bribery within IAAF

WADA says there is corruption and bribery "at the highest levels of international athletics" and says it has passed evidence against the IAAF to Interpol for appropriate investigation.

Publication of the information will be delayed until decisions are taken by the competent authorities regarding potential criminal prosecutions, but it is hoped and intended that the IC will publish the full information prior to the end of 2015.

'State sponsored doping'

The report identified "systemic failures within the IAAF and Russia that prevented or diminished the possibility of an effective anti-doping program", to the extent that Russia could not be considered code-compliant.

Independent Commission President Dick Pound, who presented the findings on behalf of WADA, agreed that the programme amounted to State-sponsored doping and said "it could not have happened without government consent."

The Commission also said accreditation of the Russian anti-doping laboratory should be revoked as soon as possible and that its Director be permanently removed from his position as the Moscow laboratory was "unable to act independently."

The investigation also unearthed a "second laboratory in Moscow, apparently having the same testing capabilities as the WADA accredited laboratory".

The exact purpose of this laboratory is unknown, but it was "controlled by the city of Moscow government."

The report says there is "sufficient corroborated evidence" to conclude that this lab was used to destroy positive doping samples.

The Commission found that the London 2012 Olympics were "sabotaged" by the "widespread inaction" against Russian athletes with suspicious doping profiles by the IAAF and the Russian federation.

A number of Russian athletes suspected of doping could have been prevented from competing at the games had it not been for "the collective and inexplicable laissez-faire policy" adopted by the IAAF and the Russian athletics federation.

Mr Pound also acknowledged that there are other countries aside from Russia that have doping issues, including Kenya.

Secret laboratory found in Moscow

The Laboratory of the Moscow Committee of Sport for Identification for Prohibited Substances in Athlete Samples is controlled by the city of Moscow government and its director is Dr Giorgi Bezhanishvili, a forensic toxicologist.

A WADA-accredited laboratory in Moscow was criticised in the report - but the discovery of a second laboratory in the Russian capital highlights the extraordinary lengths taken to cover up positive doping results.

The report said: "There is sufficient corroborated evidence to conclude that the second laboratory was assisting in the cover-up of positive doping results by way of the destruction of samples.

"Pre-screened samples that were not positive could then be sent to the accredited laboratory."