Olympic officials have announced that 118 Russian athletes will be barred from competition in Rio due to their participation in a government-sanctioned doping program.
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WADA’s independent report compiled by law professor Richard McLaren was published on July 18, outlining systematic state-backed doping in Russian Federation and triggering a series of sanctions only days before the start of the Brazil Olympics on August 5.
The same panel, whose verdict will be announced today, are also ruling on Russian swimmers Vladimir Morozov and Lobintsev, after CAS failed to reach a decision on them.
The three-person panel comprises Ugur Erdener, president of World Archery and head of the IOC medical and scientific commission, Claudia Bokel of the IOC athletes commission, and Spanish IOC member Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr, son of the ex-IOC president of the same name.
World Sailing said it had cancelled a ban against Russian 470 class contender Pavel Sozykin because of the “new guidance” it had received from the International Olympic Committee on Monday.
Zhukov tells a news conference that full Russian teams were approved in several sports, including badminton, boxing, judo and volleyball.
In a further twist, sailor Pavel Sozykin was cleared to take part despite being named in Richard McLaren’s World Anti-Doping Agency independent report.
Bach and his senior International Olympic Committee colleagues resisted that charge, opting instead to let the individual sports assess each Russian athlete’s eligibility, with final approval coming from a Court of Arbitration for Sport expert.
Jack Robertson, the chief investigator for the probe of Russia’s track team, told Pro Publica that WADA president Craig Reedie “had to be literally pressured into every investigation”. Only one athlete, US -based long jumper Darya Klishina, was cleared by the IAAF because she had been regularly tested outside Russian Federation.
At a packed press conference in Rio, Bach said the decision on whether or not to give Russian Federation a blanket ban for its state-run doping programme had been “difficult” but he had applied the principles of “natural justice”.
The new statement “indicated that an athlete should not be considered as “implicated” if the McLaren list does not refer to a prohibited substance which would have given rise to an anti-doping rules violation”, the sailing federation said.
He said his organization could not be blamed for the timing of the McLaren report, published just two weeks before the commencement of the Rio Games, or the fact that information previously offered to WADA was not followed up.
World Archery investigated the three athletes’ eligibility to compete.
Pan Zhiwei, director of worldwide relations, says the games will attract 300 million more Chinese to participate in winter sports.
It’s not the first time CAS has struck down an International Olympic Committee anti-doping measure.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said that a “record” 18 appeals, mostly involving Russian athletes, had been launched ahead of the Games.
“Our track and field athletes are in a hard situation and I am very sorry for them”. “I think this is absolutely unfair”.
Having rejected calls from athletes’ groups and the anti-doping community for a blanket ban for Russia, IOC president Thomas Bach has repeatedly had to defend his compromise between collective responsibility for Russia’s flagrant cheating and each athletes’ right to justice.
It is no wonder that the Russian media has been reporting their team could climb to 280 by Friday evening’s opening ceremony, an outcome that would only reinforce the widely-held view that Russia has got away very lightly.
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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.
