Bach had a proposal accepted by an 85-1 vote that endorsed the International Olympic Committee executive board decision not to impose a blanket ban on Russian athletes, though WADA investigator Richard McLaren had spoken of widespread, state-sponsored doping in Russian sport on July 18, and the WADA foundation board had recommended a full ban.
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The IOC again pointed blame at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for failing to act sooner on evidence of state-sponsored doping in Russian Federation.
The split between Olympic leaders and global anti-doping officials over the Russian doping scandal continues to escalate.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach speaks during an Olympic Truce inauguration ceremony in the athletes village in advance of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Aug. 1, 2016.
The IOC chief has become involved in a political battle with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) over who is to blame for the chaos coming so close to the Rio opening.
Despite the doping scandal and other problems, Bach predicted this week that Rio will put on a “great” Games. The result is death and destruction, that is not what the Olympic Movement stands for.
“It was called by some the nuclear option, and clean athletes were the collateral damage”.
They had already previously banned three rowers who had served doping bans or who had been named in the McLaren report for WADA that exposed Russia’s “disappearing positives” regime.
Members voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution backing the IOC’s decision not to impose a blanket ban on Russia’s athletes.
Former skeleton bobsledder Pengilly followed later, criticising the International Olympic Committee decision to exclude doping cheat turned whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova, despite her having made the initial allegations which led to WADA launching a series of independent investigations.
Mario Andrada was responding to the publication of the latest water study by The Associated Press, which found severe viral contamination in all outdoor aquatic venues for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
He added: “The IOC is calling for a more robust and efficient anti-doping system”.
Andy Hunt, the head of World Sailing, says “if it was absolutely necessary, we could still carry on competition, but it would just be logistically very hard”.
“At times WADA has seemed to be more interested in publicity and self-promotion rather than doing its job as a regulator, acting with transparency, and looking after the best interest of clean athletes”, Werthein told the meeting.
“We don’t always agree on everything”, he said.
They expressed disappointment following the IOC Executive Board’s decision to allow some Russians to compete and accused the Games’ ruling body of lacking the leadership and courage to punish Russia.
Reedie said there was acceptance of a problem in Russian Federation and that “it is absolutely essential we can not have the biggest country in the world non-compliant on a permanent basis”. “The arrow’s left the bow”, he said.
“The decision has been made, it’s not going to get changed between now and the start of the Games”, the former Olympic swimmer explained before listing the concessions he believed had been gained from the IOC.
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“This is about doping”, Probst said firmly, while Britain’s Adam Pengilly reminded the floor that athletes nearly universally wanted Russian Federation banned.
