The IWF said on its website that the multiple documented cases of doping among Russian weightlifters was shocking and disappointing and had damaged the integrity of the sport. “Therefore an appropriate sanction was applied in order to preserve the status of the sport”.
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The IWF already took two quota places away from the Russian team in June as part of its efforts to crack down on the use of doping within the sport, per the federation’s official website.
The country had earlier been expecting nearly three-quarters of its Olympic team to go to Rio, with the Russian Sports Ministry producing a report claiming 286 members of what had been an nearly 400-strong team would be there.
To replace the eight Russian lifters in Rio, five countries were offered places in the men’s competition – Belarus, Croatia, El Salvador, Mongolia and Serbia. The 19 were excluded because World Rowing said they had not been tested often enough by reliable global authorities.
Russian Rowing Federation head Veniamin But has confirmed he plans to go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport next week to try to overturn the ruling from World Rowing.
The Games get under way in Rio on 5 August.
“They’re now in Portugal”, But said. Those Games were overshadowed by the widespread use of doping, however, with no less than 10 weightlifters returning positive tests, according to Reuters (via Sky Sports).
Earlier this month the International Association of Athletics Federations upheld the ban of all Russian track and field athletes from Rio except a long jumper allowed to compete under a neutral flag.
There was good news for Russia on Friday when the Russian Taekwondo Union said it had received notification from the World Taekwondo Federation that all three of its entries could compete in Rio.
“Unfortunately they didn’t make an exception for me”, she wrote on Instagram.
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A photo shows Australian athletes rested outdoors after evacuating from their apartments when a fire alarm was raised in their section of the Rio 2016 Olympic village on July 29, 2016.
