Vitaly Mutko tells Russian media that “as of today, 272 athletes have definitely been admitted to the Olympics”, adding that a final figure would be available Saturday.
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More than 100 Russian athletes have been excluded by sports federations, including a blanket ban on the track and field team and more than 30 rejected under new International Olympic Committee rules.
Russian Federation is confident that most of its Olympic team will be able to compete in Rio de Janeiro, but its efforts to reinstate banned athletes are a mixed bag.
Double gold medallist Yelena Isinbayeva, part of the banned Russian track and field team, is believed to have declined an offer to carry Russia’s flag at the opening ceremony in Rio next Friday.
Athletes will have to overcome a presumption of guilt, but given the limited time left before the Games, and the influence Moscow can bring to bear, overtly and otherwise, on the various federations, this is a dragnet through which many Russians will slip.
“Unfortunately they didn’t make an exception for me”, she wrote on Instagram.
Russian Rowing Federation head Veniamin But tells The Associated Press by telephone that he plans to go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport next week to try to overturn the ruling from World Rowing.
Isinbayeva traveled to Switzerland to address the judges in person.
“Only (long jumper Darya Klishina) …was found to meet the criteria for exceptional eligibility”. It first imposed the suspension in November having accused Russian Federation of running a state-sponsored doping system.
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An investigation launched by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in May resulted in the publication of a report by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren on July 18. The report claimed Russia’s sports ministry, as well as its secret service, were complicit in concealing positive doping probes of Russian sportsmen by swapping samples or even destroying the evidence. Yet the banned athletes include Yulia Stepanova, who blew the whistle on her country’s cheating.
