Instead the Games’ ruling body directed sports federations to allow Russian athletes to compete if they met a set of criteria, including a clean doping past and sufficient testing at worldwide events.
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Thomas Bach, said that it was important not to deprive the the Russian athletes the chance to prove their innocence, despite the damaging McLaren report on State-sponsored doping in the country.
Some Ukrainian team members said the ruling was weighed against the Russians because the International Olympic Committee allowed United States athletes who had previously served time out for doping to compete in Rio.
There are still some cases the International Olympic Committee has yet to decide, Russian officials said.
Zhukov said it was unfair that Russian sports stars such as double Olympic champion pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva would now watch the Games from home while past doping offenders including top USA runner Justin Gatlin took to the field. Nearly all athletes are in a full complement virtually in all kind of sports.
They will be joined by eight Russian tennis players, 18 shooters, 11 judokas and Russian golfer Maria Verchenova, the sports’ global federations said.
The unidentified Greek competitor’s A sample tested positive for banned substances in a pre-Games test also conducted in July in Athens and the athlete has left the Olympic village. The IOC earlier approved 271 Russian athletes.
Heading into the summer Olympics there was a bit of a cloud of uncertainty regarding the status of the Russian delegation due to a widespread doping scandal.
Novak Djokovic will face 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in the first round of the Olympics in a rematch of the 2012 bronze medal match.
International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams told The Associated Press: “We respect CAS and will of course follow their decision”.
Meldonium was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances from January 1, but some positive tests were later overturned after the agency said there was a lack of clear scientific evidence about how long it takes for the drug to be excreted from the body.
Stepanova’s hopes of competing were raised on Thursday when CAS said that ban was “unenforceable” but the 30-year-old will not make a late appeal in order to compete.
CAS rejected the athletes’ appeal to be granted direct entry into the games, saying it was now up to the global rowing and swimming federations to decide whether to let them in or not. “I think this is absolutely unfair”.
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“We are living in a world of crises, mistrust and uncertainty”, said Bach. This is destroying justice. Some competitions are already underway. The hosts got off to a disappointing start with 0-0 draw against South Africa, a result that prompted loud jeers by some of the home fans.
