Meanwhile, the IOC has said a three-member IOC panel will have the final say on which Russian athletes can compete at the Rio Games, reviewing all decisions taken by the worldwide federations.
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The (executive board) chose to delegate the final decision on the acceptance of entries of Russian athletes to a review panel composed of three International Olympic Committee executive board members: Ugur Erdener, Claudia Bokel and Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr.
Russia’s weightlifting team has been dogged by doping cases and faced further embarrassment Wednesday when retests of samples from the 2012 Olympics saw four Russians, including three medalists, test positive.
More than 100 Russian athletes have been banned from the Rio Games, including the country’s entire track and field team.
The world’s governing body of athletics, however, emphasised that Russians, admitted to competitions on an individual basis, would be unable to perform as part of the national team and would participate only under a neutral flag. Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said that 272 of the country’s athletes had been approved by global sports federations, out of an original team of 387, adding that the number could rise.
Russian Rowing Federation head Veniamin But has confirmed he plans to go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport next week to try to overturn the ruling from World Rowing.
Others now unable to attend include two-time European under 69 kilograms champion Oleg Chen, reigning world under 85kg champion Artem Okulev, under 94kg lifter Adam Maligov, two-time European under 105kg gold medal victor David Bedzhanyan and two-time world over 105kg champion Ruslan Albegov.
All Russian athletes sanctioned for doping in the past have been excluded from the Games.
However, Russia’s best-known track and field athlete, two-time Olympic gold medalist Yelena Isinbayeva, said she had been refused in her last attempt to make the team for Rio following the blanket ban on Russia in that sport.
“On one hand Russian Federation is saying they want to change their system and the culture of doping in their country”, Chiller told reporters on Thursday.
Wrestling is likely to be one of the most controversial sports in Rio as Russian Federation will nearly certainly collect medals, having won 11 at London 2012.
“Both swimmers request CAS to declare the decision of the International Olympic Committee executive board of July 24 2016 invalid and unenforceable”, said a CAS statement.
RUSSIAN swimmers Vladimir Morozov and Nikita Lobintsev on Saturday launched the first challenge against International Olympic Committee sanctions excluding them from the Rio Olympics. Three had previously failed drug tests, while another three were implicated in a doping scandal.
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“That’s treachery and cynicism of the highest grade and I think it highlights the crisis in world sports and the global Olympic movement”, Yeryomin said. The proposed sports – backed by the executive board and to be voted on as a package – would add 18 events and 474 athletes to the program.
