The swimmers were implicated in a report by World Anti-Doping Agency investigator Richard McLaren that detailed state-sponsored doping in Russian Federation across more than two dozen summer and winter sports.
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Touching upon the recent events that have shaken the world of sport but also looking at opportunities laying ahead, the IOC President called for faith and unity.
Rejecting calls from anti-doping bodies for a total ban on Russia, the IOC instead gave worldwide sports federations the authority to rule on the entry of individual Russian athletes.
The Australian team play their Olympic tournament opener against Russian Federation on August 9 and there is no suggestion on replacing the four athletes ahead of their match. It has such a reputation for just being so fun, so right, and to have an Olympics there, especially. “It goes without saying that this situation has made the final preparations for the Olympic Games challenging”.
The 14-time major champion hit for two hours with fellow Spaniard David Ferrer on Monday on a practice court at the Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro.
The IOC on Sunday said it was not responsible for this uncertainty, putting the blame squarely on WADA and its July release of the McLaren report.
Dubbed the Refugee Olympic Team, the idea for a team consisting entirely of displaced athletes was masterminded by the International Olympic Committee as a response to the ongoing worldwide refugee crisis. However, it still isn’t available in Brazil, and some people are quite unhappy about it because the 2016 Summer Olympics begin on Friday in Rio de Janeiro. “On the other hand, we can not deprive an athlete of the human right to be given the opportunity to prove his or her innocence”.
Potential members of the Refugee Olympic Team were identified and nominated by National Olympic Committees around the world, based on criteria included sporting level, official refugee status verified by the United Nations and personal situation and background.
Crime is rife in the city and more than 85,000 security personnel will be deployed to make sure athletes and visitors enjoy the Games in safety.
The team of 13 players were due to land in Brazil on a delayed flight from Rome, where they had been training for the Games, later on Monday.
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During Rio 2016, members of the IOC Athletes’ Commission will be present in the IOC Space located at the entrance to the Main Dining Hall in the Olympic Villages.
