Rachel Smalley chats with Rikki Swannell about IOC President Thomas Bach being bombarded by questions regarding the Russian doping scandel at the first media conference building up to Rio.
Advertisement
The IOC had refused to throw Russia’s entire team out of Rio 2016, instead ordering worldwide federations to select which of the country’s competitors fulfilled strict criteria.
Bach defended that approach and issued a firm denial when asked if he had been politically influenced by the Russian delegation since the publication of the McLaren report.
“Every human being is entitled to certain rights of natural justice”, said Bach, who also denied suggestions he had bowed to pressure from the Russian government to reject calls by anti-doping authorities for a complete ban.
“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.
The under-fire World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) has received a welcome and critically-timed vote of confidence from 19 European Sports Ministers.
Following the reports release, 14 worldwide anti-doping agencies and numerous national Olympic committees demanded Russian Federation be banned from the 2016 Games.
He explained that his organization was not responsible for the timing of Richard McLaren’s report, claiming that a large scale doping program, which involved security services, was carried out by Russian Federation.
So far, more than 100 of Russia’s athletes have been excluded by their federations with more than 250 cleared to compete.
Olympic officials instead asked the worldwide federations that govern each sport to consider each Russian athlete’s eligibility on a case-by-case basis.
“Therefore, the International Olympic Committee can’t be responsible for the timing and reason of what we we’re facing”.
The Brazilian soccer confederation says Prass will not play in the Olympic tournament in Rio de Janeiro after tests showed a fracture in the goalkeeper’s elbow.
Bach also defended the International Olympic Committee decision to reject a bid by 800-metre runner Yulia Stepanova, a former doper and whistle-blower who helped expose the extent of cheating in Russian Federation, to compete in Rio as a neutral athlete. The preparations have been clouded across multiple fronts, including a severe recession leading to Olympic budget cuts, concerns over water pollution, crime and the Zika virus, and problems with accommodations in the athletes’ village.
The cases of Morozov and Lobintsev, also medal-winners in London and the Beijing Games in 2008, were heard by a CAS tribunal on Sunday with a new hearing set for Monday, CAS secretary general Matthieu Reeb told AFP.
Advertisement
“As always, there are some last-minute challenges. We are more confident than ever that we will have great Olympic Games “à la Brazil” with a great spirit”.
