Although the Russian Weightlifting Federation appealed that decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), its petition was rejected Wednesday.
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The Rio Olympics begin today with about a third of Russia/’s original 389 competitors having been banned.
In the other Group A match in Brasilia, Iraq and Denmark also played to a scoreless draw, leaving all four teams tied.
Two-time road cycling medalist at the London Olympics Olga Zabelinskaya has been admitted to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games opening on Friday, secretary general of the Russian Cycling Federation Yuri Kucheryavy told TASS.
Legal experts had warned that the sanction, understood to have been decided upon on the basis of an offer by the Russians six months earlier, was not enforceable. “No athletes from any country … had the rules changed to bar those previously guilty of doping”.
CAS said the rule goes against the IOC’s stated aim “to provide the athletes with an opportunity to rebut the presumption of guilt and to recognize the right to natural justice”.
Russia’s Olympic team will be the “cleanest” at the Rio Games, Russian Olympic Committee president Alexander Zhukov says.
One of the lead investigators into the Russian doping crisis accused the World Anti-Doping Agency of contributing to the chaos ahead of the Olympics by not pushing for a probe into the country’s entire sports system at an earlier date.
The IOC had decided not to impose a blanket ban on Russian Federation after World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) investigator Richard McLaren revealed widespread and state-sponsored doping in the country in a special report from July 18.
Zhukov said that despite the track and field ban, 270 athletes would be going to Rio and undergo additional testing there. “But I’m not in a position to tell you where we are with CAS, and what is pending”, he said.
“I couldn t be more proud and relieved”. By Thursday evening, the number of Russian athletes cleared had climbed to 271, with as many as five more still awaiting word as to their fates. Sometimes we like the decisions, sometimes not, but we always respect them.
The news conference came after a three-day International Olympic Committee general assembly where Bach and many members slammed WADA for its handling of the Russian crisis.
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Russia, who avoided a complete ban from the Olympics following revelations of state-backed doping, hopes to have anywhere between 272 and 280 athletes declared eligible for Rio after the International Olympic Committee review.
