The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) banned Russian athletes from the Rio Games in November and Rutherford praised the sport’s governing body’s stance.
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On July 24, the International Olympic Committee held a meeting of its executive board to discuss possible blanket ban of Russian athletes at the Rio Olympics.
Russian athletes will be able to compete for their country in Rio this year – as long as they can prove they have never taken part in the massive, state-led doping scandal.
Lead WADA investigator Richard McLaren said evidence showed a Moscow laboratory “operated for the protection of doped Russian athletes, within a state dictated failsafe system”.
“When a crime is committed, the guilty party is tried and punished, but you don’t put his family, friends and acquaintances behind bars just because they knew the criminal or they live in the same town”.
“Doping is a worldwide evil, not only of Russian Federation”. It is not only a Russian problem, and of course we can address it by combining our efforts.
The findings in the McLaren report that describe systematic and widespread doping in Russia are of great concern to everyone involved in sport, including the International Tennis Federation.
A list of strict criteria laid down by the IOC must be met, including “an individual analysis of each athlete’s anti-doping record, taking into account only reliable adequate worldwide tests”.
“I maintain the view that any actions less than what WADA has recommended at this critical point in time risks Rio being overshadowed by a contagious suspicion of compromised integrity and damaging the reputation of the Olympic movement”, she said.
According to Mutko, the Russian athletes of the national team would apply to IFs with renegotiations to be carried out quickly.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld this decision last week, while Russian Federation could also still face a ban from the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
ESPN reports the World Anti-Doping Agency’s suggestion came after allegations of rampant state-sponsored cheating by the Russians.
The IOC executive board also ruled: “Nobody implicated [in the McLaren report], be it an athlete, an official, or an NF, may be accepted for entry or accreditation for the Olympic Games”. “The end result will be… a much-reduced Russian team”.
“We have created and been through the process”.
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“We will be glad if our foreign colleagues help us in this task”.
