The International Olympic Committee confirmed 118 athletes, or nearly one third of the Russian team, will be banned from the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympic Games due to blood doping.
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The IOC decision was hailed by the Russians as “objective” while the US anti-Doping Agency ( USADA) said the IOC had failed to demonstrate decisive leadership.
Russian Federation sent 436 athletes to the last Summer Olympics, in London in 2012 and will now have a smaller team than 11 other countries in the competition.
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.
Russian news agency R-Sport reported that 29 Russian swimmers and canoeing world champion Andrey Kraitor would also be allowed to compete.
World champion Yulia Efimova led five Russian swimmers who won Olympic reprieves on Friday taking their doping-tainted country to at least 276 competitors at the Rio Games.
A three-person International Olympic Committee panel had assessed which athletes from Russian Federation can take part after the World Anti-Doping Agency report last month.
As Rio geared up for the opening ceremony to the Olympic Games, more Russian athletes have reportedly been allowed to take part, bringing the total number to 279.
Cleared athletes include the 11-strong boxing and judo teams, 30 volleyballers and beach volleyballers, and eight tennis players.
A week later, the International Olympic Committee made a decision to have the sports federations rule on who could compete in Rio based on McLaren’s evidence and special criteria, such as not nominating any Russian with a previous sanction.
“We can send a message for clean athletes in Russian Federation”. He was categorical about the “serious allegations against the Russian minister of sport”, and said that it was decided, “no Russian sports minister will receive accreditation for Rio”.
Athletes who have been denied entry may appeal to world sports’ arbitration court, which established a satellite office in Rio.
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Vladimir Morozov, Nikita Lobintsev, Daria Ustinova, Mikhail Dovgalyuk and Anastasia Krapivina were also expected to compete after initially being banned from the Olympics. With Lebedev restored to competition, the Russian delegation has risen to 277 athletes.
