With the games opening Friday, it remains uncertain exactly how many Russians will be competing.
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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decreed last week that individual sports’ governing bodies must determine whether or not prospective competitors are clean after opting against a blanket ban on Russian Federation.
“I don’t think that this will be damaging because I think we will realise that we have to take this decision, ” Bach said. “The allegations about the Sochi lab, that the Russian Ministry of Sport has orchestrated such a system, there we have taken what preliminary measures that we could, so that no official from this Russian ministry of sport, starting with the minister, can be accredited here in Rio”. “People realize we had to take a decision now”.
The IOC’s executive board has now announced that Ugur Erdener, Claudia Bokel and Juan Antonio Samaranch will make the “final decision” on Russian participation after a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) arbitrator has made an initial ruling.
Overwhelmingly, Sunday’s grilling concerned the IOC’s partial but not absolute sanctions against the Russian Olympic team following the report by Canadian independent investigator Richard McLaren on the extent of Russia’s state-sponsored doping program. “The negative opinions are the ones most likely to be quoted”, Bach told reporters.
After the third or fourth Russian question, Bach exhausted of having his buttons pushed, and it was only then that his passion for justice and the law pushed through all the platitudes.
“The IOC report isn’t responsible for the fact that the information, which was presented to WADA several years ago, did not lead to any action”, he said, adding that the accreditation of anti-doping laboratories also not among the IOC’s responsibilities. Finally it ruled that Russian athletes who had previously been banned for anti-doping violations could not compete in Rio.
“The IOC cannot be made responsible for the timing and reasons”, Bach said.
Bach revealed that 4500 urine tests and 1000 blood test would be conducted during the Rio Games as part of the IOC’s fight against doping.
McLaren’s investigation has been extended so he can identify athletes and others involved in state-backed doping and coverups.
“If this system was applied like this, it’s an attack on everything we want to represent”, he said. Bach defended the IOC’s decision, saying despite the criticism, his organization was not emerging from this scandal with a black eye. How far can you go to punish an individual for the failures or manipulations of their government?
International Olympic Committee president Bach rejected suggestions at a press conference that the International Olympic Committee was to blame for the legal imbroglio.
“It was not easy”, he said.
“We would herewith once more like to ask the IOC (Executive Board) to re-assess the decision on Yulia”.
Bach also gave an upbeat assessment of Rio’s readiness for the games.
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“It’s coming together”, Bach said. “There will be, as always, some late challenges. We are more confident than ever that we will have great Olympic Games “a la Brazil” with a great spirit”.
