The world of athletics is experiencing seismic tremors thanks to the recently unearthed Russian doping scandal. Even hard-nosed cynics have been taken aback by the sheer scale of the multi-layered operation.

Firstly, the doping was so widespread that it earned the moniker systemic. Then came the cover-up, where a key laboratory in Russia is under the scanner for fudging reports. Even Russian agents posed as lab staffers as part of the cover up.