Russia’s track and field team was banned from competing after a report by an independent commission chaired by former World Anti-Doping Agency president Dick Pound found evidence of a state-sponsored doping ring that it said sabotaged the 2012 London Olympics.
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But as Russian pole vault star Yelena Isinbayeva reacted immediately by saying she would challenge in court the IAAF decision, an olive branch was proferred.
“I totally sympathise with all clean athletes suffering in this situation, but do feel that Russian track and field athletes were told repeatedly how their Olympic participation depended on them getting their state to acknowledge, react to and take accountability for the problems”.
But Coe said Russian athletes based outside of the Russian system “could potentially return to global competition as neutrals once their cases are reviewed by our doping review board”.
It is a result that Doyle is hugely relieved about, particularly in light of a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report released earlier this week which revealed that anti-doping officials in Russian Federation have been stopped from testing athletes and also threatened by security services.
The IOC was commenting for the first time on Friday’s IAAF decision to uphold Russia’s suspension which rules the doping-tainted country’s athletes out of the Rio Olympics.
The IAAF may have made this bold, and unprecedented, step of imposing a blanket ban but it has not completely restored Doyle’s trust in the governing body. On 15 June, WADA also issued an updated report concerning Russian testing during their period of non-compliance, which outlined very serious limitations to Russia’s program.
Russian Federation s Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said the decision had been expected in Moscow and pledged to respond.
The IAAF decision followed a warning by Australia’s newly crowned Olympic champion Jared Tallent that the Rio Games would be tarnished if Russian athletes were allowed to compete.
However, by accepting the IAAF decision and the federation’s jurisdiction over the athletes, the International Olympic Committee indicated it will not interfere.
‘There can not be collective responsibility of all athletes, ‘ Mr Putin said.
The IAAF held their vote yesterday so, if the ban were to be lifted, Russian athletes would have a fair chance to register Olympic qualifying standards before the July 11 cut-off.
British 800m runner Lynsey Sharp tweeted in response: “And your country has destroyed “clean athletes” dreams’ for decades”.
IAAF president Sebastian Coe has dismissed the possibility of the IOC overriding the ruling, insisting that his organisation – and not the IOC – is responsible for eligibility criteria for athletes taking part in worldwide competitions.
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