The International Olympic Committee has confirmed 271 Russian athletes will compete in the Rio Olympics, a figure that will provoke outrage from those who argued for a blanket ban in the wake of state-sponsored doping revelations.
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When the opening ceremony for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics arrives Friday night, the 159th out of 207 delegations in the Parade of Nations will enter Maracana Stadium behind a tri-colour flag of white, blue and red.
The IOC recently rejected calls from anti-doping organizations to ban Russia’s entire team following a report by a World Anti-Doping Agency investigator that detailed evidence of state-directed doping and coverups.
The IOC ordered individual federations to decide which athletes are clean enough to compete and their final lists were vetted by a three-member IOC panel.
An expert from the Court of Arbitration of Sport checked the results, which then went to a three-member International Olympic Committee panel headed by medical commission chief Ugur Erdener for final approval.
In May Fina, however, lifted her suspension after the World Anti-Doping Agency said athletes testing positive for meldonium early this year could have taken it before it was banned. “Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko in a statement expressed his gratitude to the IOC.He said” It was objective and taken in the interest of world sport and unity of the Olympic family. That report resulted in the Russian track and field team being banned from worldwide competition, and the global Association of Athletics Federations extended that ban through the Olympics.
Wrestler Viktor Lebedev and sailor Pavel Sozykin were waiting to hear the result of appeals to CAS against their exclusion from Rio.
Given the volume of testing to which it has been subjected, Zhukov said, the Russian team “is probably the cleanest in Rio”.
And it means athletes banned from Rio because they have previously been sanctioned for doping could now challenge the decision to make them stay at home.
The IOC Decision deprives the Russian athletes of the presumption of innocence and rather establishes a presumption of guilt, but one that is rebuttable by the athletes on an individual basis. “I think this is absolutely unfair”.
Bach, who has faced criticism in recent weeks for his decision not to ban Russian Federation from the Games over a doping scandal, said the August 5-21 sporting extravaganza would send a message of hope to the watching world. This is destroying justice.
“We undertook a proposed comprehensive reanalysis programme ever with regard to the Olympic Games 2008 and 2012”, he said.
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Despite an attack led by Barcelona striker Neymar and talented youngsters Gabriel Jesus and Gabigol, Brazil was not able to find the net at the packed Mane Garrincha Stadium in Brasilia. Other sports with zero Russian players: weightlifting and rowing. Germany and Mexico drew 2-2 in their game.
