Twelve days ahead of the start of Rio’s games, the committee announced the criteria that every Russian athlete must fulfill to compete.
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The damning report said Russia’s sports ministry directed a vast doping programme with support from the state intelligence agency that saw thousands of tainted urine samples destroyed or swapped for clean ones.
Russia’s tennis team will be allowed to compete at the Rio Olympics this summer after the International Tennis Federation (ITF) backed the decision not to impose a blanket ban on the country’s competitors.
It had also ordered the immediate re-testing of all Russian athletes from the Sochi Olympics and instructed global winter sports federations to halt preparations for major events in Russia.
“It is fair that the International Olympic Committee made the decision to let the Russian team compete under our own flag, because this country places lots of expectations upon us”.
Rutherford, who will defend his Olympic title at the Games, which begin on August 5, believes the IOC has tried to satisfy everyone but ended up creating a “messy” situation.
The IOC’s decision to allow some Russian athletes – though likely a much-depleted team – rejected the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) recommendation that Russia be banned from the Rio Olympics altogether.
The athletes can compete only if they are able “to provide evidence to the full satisfaction of his or her global federation” that they have satisfied anti-doping requirements, the Lausanne, Switzerland-based IOC said in a statement on Sunday.
USADA also hit out at the decision to ban doping whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova from taking part in the Olympics.
Clean individual “athletes shouldn’t be sanctioned for the system”, IOC President Thomas Bach said on the call with reporters.
“We the organisers will welcome all athletes who come here to compete”, Nuzman added.
“The fight against doping in sport requires strong worldwide leadership, none more so in this case, where the integrity of an entire Olympic and Paralympic Games is at stake”.
Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko said he was grateful for the International Olympic Committee decision and claimed that doping was a world problem, not just a Russian one.
“I hope that the majority of worldwide federations will very promptly confirm the right of (Russian) sportspeople in different types of sports to take part in the Olympic Games”, Mr Mutko said.
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The International Tennis Federation wasted no time in clearing the seven Russian players nominated for Rio.
