Russia’s sports minister Vitaly Mutko slammed a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to reject an appeal against a ban for doping that will see the track and field team miss the Rio Games.
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Former World Anti-Doping Agency president John Fahey says a “clear-cut” decision is required: Russian Federation should not be allowed to compete at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Despite the ban, the IAAF had previously said a handful of the country’s athletes could compete in Rio as neutrals if they meet a number of criteria, including being repeatedly tested outside their homeland. “How can you deprive clean sportsmen of their dream, and what’s more WADA didn’t present either facts or evidence”.
Two-time Olympic gold medallist Isinbayeva said the ruling would deal a mortal blow to global athletics.
“Today’s judgment has created a level playing field for athletes”, world track and field’s governing body said in a statement.
The IOC is expected to reach a final decision within the next week and has said it will take the CAS ruling into account.
IAAF president, Lord Coe, added: “This is not a day for triumphant statements”. It is our federation’s instinctive desire to include, not exclude.
“Beyond Rio the IAAF Taskforce will continue to work with Russia to establish a clean safe environment for its athletes so that its federation and team can return to global recognition and competition”.
But the big question now is whether the ruling from sport’s highest court will persuade the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee to issue a blanket ban for the entire Russian delegation in Rio.
But a Cas spokesman added the panel had “expressed concerns” that the short timeframe “left no possibility for the athletes to comply with the criteria”.
President of Russia’s Olympic Committee Alexander Zhukov opens the meeting of Russia’s Olympic Committee in Moscow, Wednesday, July 20, 2016.
Rebrik tells Russian state broadcaster Match TV that “I don’t know whether to laugh or cry”. But he said that they would not leave the situation unchallenged.
“Thank you everyone for the funeral of track and field athletics. It’s a pure political decision”. All arguments are aimed against ARAF and there is nothing concrete against athletes.
Letting Russian athletes compete in the games would undermine the credibility of the competition, according to the IAAF. Among previous cases, he sat on the panel which upheld FIFA’s four-month ban on Luis Suarez for biting an opponent at the 2014 World Cup.
Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren, who was commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, issued a report Monday that accused Russia’s sports ministry of orchestrating a vast doping program that affected 28 summer and winter Olympic sports.
Russian Federation finished top of the medal table at the Sochi Games two years ago – wining 33 medals, 13 of them gold.
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The World Anti-Doping Agency and other doping bodies have called on the International Olympic Committee to consider the unprecedented step of kicking out the entire Russian contingent following new allegations of a vast government-organized doping program.
