International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach claims entire national federations could be banned from competing at future Games as a result of doping.
He says allegations of Russian state-sponsored cheating would represent a "shocking new dimension in doping" and an "unimaginable level of criminality" if proved.
Russia is already suspended from athletics.
"This action could range from lifelong Olympic bans for any implicated person, to tough financial sanctions, to acceptance of suspension or exclusion of entire national federations like the already existing one for the Russian Athletics by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)," he said.
Yesterday, the IOC announced 31 unnamed athletes face bans after doping samples from the 2008 Beijing Olympics were retested.
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