PARIS, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Tuesday announced details of the three-man independent commission that will take a full investigation into doping allegations in Russia, while world's athletics governing body IAAF showed support.

The commission, which will formally initiate the investigation in January 2015, will be chaired by former WADA president Richard Pound and joined by legal counsel Richard McLaren, who's a long- standing member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

WADA will announce the third member of the commission in due course, according to a statement via email by WADA.

Earlier this month, a series of German documentaries, firstly broadcast by ARD on Dec. 3, appeared to show reigning Olympic 800 meters champion Maria Savinova of Russia admitting to using the banned steroid oxandrolone, while three-time Chicago Marathon winner Liliya Shobukhova paid 450,000 euros to avoid a doping ban.

"WADA is pleased that Mr. Richard Pound and Professor Richard McLaren have agreed to look into the grave doping allegations that came to light through the recent German television broadcasts," said WADA president Craig Reedie in Tuesday's statement.

"The Independent Commission has the vital task of reviewing the allegations aired during the documentaries, as well as all other information received separately by WADA, to determine if there have been any violations to anti-doping rules," he added.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) welcome the WADA announcement of their three-person commission.

"The IAAF takes this opportunity to reiterate its full support of the WADA investigation," IAAF President Lamine Diack told a statement. "Our primary concern must always be to protect the integrity of competition in support of the vast majority of clean athletes, and we look forward to working with WADA to this end."

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