The head of Russia’s Olympic Committee, Alexander Zhukov, said on Wednesday Russia had no intention of boycotting the Rio Games to protest against the way a doping scandal was being handled, saying politics had no place in sport.
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With less than three weeks until the Rio Games open on August 5, the fallout from a series of revelations of doping in Russian sport has raised as many questions as answers. “It is all about friendship, cooperation and should strengthen relations between nations”.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it would study “legal options” before deciding whether to ban Russian Federation from the Rio Games following emergency talks on Tuesday.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland is about to hand down a ruling which will determine the Olympic fate of the track and field team. Darya Klishina, who trains outside of the country, was the only Russian athlete who was permitted by the IAAF to compete as a neutral participant.
Two Russian athletes were able to escape inclusion in the IAAF ban after proving that they had been tested independently. Russia’s record 33 medals at the Sochi Winter Games – 13 of them gold – are tarnished, leaving clean athletes who lost out justifiably angry.
McLaren was appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency to conduct an investigation into allegations of a doping cover-up in Russian sport, with the findings made public on Monday.
For now, Russia’s track athletes remain in limbo.
It was decided by the executive board that disciplinary actions related to the involvement of officials within the Russian Ministry of Sports and other persons mentioned in the report due to violations of the Olympic Charter and WADA code would start immediately.
The Russian appeal of the track ban was heard by a CAS panel on Tuesday in Geneva, with two-time Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva on hand to represent the athletes.
Because the Sochi Games are so tainted, the IOC said it would not give backing to any worldwide sports events in Russian Federation.
WADA said the McLaren probe uncovered proof “beyond reasonable doubt” and recommended the International Olympic Committee bar all Russian athletes as well as officials from taking part in Rio. The list includes Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko.
McLaren also confirmed precious allegations that urine samples with traces of steroids were swapped for clean ones in Sochi with the help of Russian intelligence and anti-doping officials. The International Association of Athletics Federations upheld the ban last month, a decision accepted by the IOC.
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The IOC board has also asked the 20 federations responsible for sports in the summer Olympic programme which were affected by Russia’s hiding of positive tests between 2011 and 2015 to consider banning their Russian member associations.
