The Russian Weightlifting Federation (RWF) has appealed its ban from the Rio Olympics, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed.
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The issue of Russia’s participation in the Games was raised after publication of a report by an independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) led by Dr. Richard McClaren of Canada, who charged the Russian authorities with conniving with the Russian athletes’ violations of the anti-doping laws. The Games will be held from August 5 through August 21.
Of the eight athletes put forward to represent them, two had already been ruled out under the IOC’s stipulations for breaking anti-doping regulations – Tatiana Kashirina, a silver medallist four years ago, and Anastasiia Romanova – and a further four were listed within the McLaren report.
The World Anti-Doping Agency had recommended all Russian athletes be excluded from Rio 2016, but weightlifting and athletics are the only sports to have imposed a blanket ban on competitors from the country.
“The IOC is calling for a more robust and efficient anti-doping system”, he added.
“It was only when CBS 60 Minutes and the New York Times, on 8 and 12 May 2016 respectively, published the allegations from the former director of the Moscow and Sochi laboratories, Dr Grigory Rodchenkov, that WADA had concrete evidence suggesting Russian state involvement that could be investigated by initiating the McLaren Investigation, which we did immediately”, said Reedie.
“The decision of the IOC Executive Board was unanimous and it followed the principles of the Olympic Summit, which were also unanimously agreed by all stakeholders…This decision is about justice”.
Wada’s response follows Bach’s comments on Sunday, when he rejected criticism of his handling of the scandal, telling journalists: “The IOC is not responsible for the timing of the McLaren report”.
“Therefore, the IOC can not be made responsible, neither for the timing nor for the reasons of these incidents we have to face now… just a couple of days before the Olympic Games”.
McLaren’s investigation has been extended so he can identify athletes and others involved in state-backed doping and coverups. “It’s an attack on the Olympic Games and it’s an attack on our values”.
He said individual athletes can’t be punished for the wrongdoing of their government.
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Worldwide sport will be heading on the “road to nowhere” unless doping sanctions are applied in the same way to all countries, Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko said yesterday. “The athletes will compete in safety”. 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.
