We say that not so much out of concern for the results of the Games themselves, which are bound to provide the usual portion of thrills, chills – and accusations of various transgressions by participants and officials.
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Several anti-doping bodies called for Russian Federation to be excluded from the Rio Olympics, which begin on Friday, in the wake of a report by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) that accused the country of state-sponsored doping. “I think this is a very thorough, strict and clear procedure”.
The IOC approved the entry of 271 Russian athletes for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics on Thursday, meaning 70 percent of the country’s original team will compete in the games after the scandal over state-sponsored doping.
Zhukov said it was “unfair” that athletes from other countries who have previously served drugs bans, such as American sprinter Justin Gatlin, will compete in Rio.
Then-IOC president Jacques Rogge said the measure was “to tell them if you cheat there will be no Olympic Games”, predicting that this would be “a powerful deterrent”.
Soon, the story was picked by western papers, including The Guardian, and it was widely reported that a vice consul at the Russian consulate – grappled with an assailant who tried to carjack his vehicle, believed to be a BMW X6. Overall, more than 100 Russians have been excluded, including 67 in track and field.
On Thursday, CAS ruled in favour of an appeal against the ban by four-times breaststroke world champion Yulia Efimova as well as rowers Anastasia Karabelshikova and Ivan Podshivalov.
For him personally, Bach said, the test for defending the decision was “to look into the eyes of all the athletes”.
Sailing’s world body said it had cancelled a ban against Russian 470 class contender Pavel Sozykin because of the new instructions.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – A final ruling on the entry of Russian athletes in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics is coming down to the wire.
And now, with less than two weeks to go before the 2016 Summer Olympics get underway in Rio de Janeiro, the International Olympic Committee has announced Russia’s punishment: an ever-so-gentle slap on the wrist.
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Given the volume of testing to which it has been subjected, Zhukov said, the Russian team “is probably the cleanest in Rio”.
