Rio de Janeiro, Aug 7: Over 200 Russian athletes have been tested for doping at the Olympics here, the head of the Russian Olympic delegation, Igor Kazikov said on Saturday.
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ARAF was at the center of numerous doping scandals since previous year and in November 2015 the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) suspended it, thus closing the doors to all national track and field athletes for participating in all international competitions, including the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Breaststroker Yulia Efimova suddenly appeared in the start lists for the 100 metres, whose heats take place on Sunday, and Wednesday’s 200m, the event in which she won an Olympic bronze medal in London in 2012.
“I couldn’t be more proud and relieved”.
Prominent German sports figures blasted the “cowardly” International Olympic Committee on Friday over its decision to allow 271 Russian athletes to participate in the Rio Games despite a rampant state-run doping programme.
One of the athletes who could take advantage of the new ruling is whistleblower Yulia Stepanova who, together with her husband, ignited the Russian doping scandal by revealing the extent of the state-backed doping programme. The IOC earlier approved 271 Russian athletes.
Wrestler Viktor Lebedev and sailor Pavel Sozykin were waiting to hear the result of appeals to CAS against their exclusion from Rio.
But with about 110 athletes cut from the Russian entry of 389, the squad in Rio will be Russia’s smallest at an Olympics in the past century.
Martina Salaras working at a currency exchange office said her family was very disappointed at they learned the Russian athlete would not come to the Games. This was a flawless opportunity for the International Olympic Committee to provide moral leadership in regard to a country that showed complete contempt for the rules of the game.
The IOC should pressure all stakeholders in the World Anti-Doping Agency to end its the chronic underfunding and provide the money necessary to carry out its responsibilities.
McLaren has insisted he has evidence “beyond reasonable doubt” of Russian state involvement in the doping.
IOC President Thomas Bach waves as he is introduced during the opening ceremony.
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The Lausanne-based court said barring them from the Games “does not respect the athletes’ right of natural justice”.
