An IOC rule barring Russian athletes with prior doping sanctions from competing in the Games was rejected as “unenforceable” by an Olympic sports arbitration panel.
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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.
The IOC chose not to impose a blanket ban on all Russian athletes at a meeting in July, but directed sports federations to allow Russians to compete if they met a set of criteria, including a clean doping past and sufficient testing at worldwide events.
“We understand that the (International Olympic Committee) has discretion to invite whomever they choose to the Games”.
However, an all-inclusive list of the 118 Russian competitors banned from competing in Rio has not been made public. At least one sport, boxing, has a full slate of Russian participants.
“We want to tell Bach: game over, you may leave”, said Ines Geipel, a former sprinter who now heads an association to help the thousands of ex-athletes involved in the former East German state’s doping programme. It is unclear whether she will be competing for the Russian team or as an independent athlete.
Stepanova had hoped to compete as an independent athlete under he International Olympic Committee flag.
But Ukrainian Sport Minister Igor Zhdanov said he was unhappy to see some Kiev athletes criticise the International Olympic Committee for banning some Russians from Rio at all.
The IOC will not be allowed to deny the Russian Olympic Committee to select contestants for the Olympic Games in Rio exclusively because they have previously received a doping sanction.
The decision was announced Thursday with respect to the appeals of one swimmer, Yulia Efimova, and two rowers, Anastasia Karabelshikova and Ivan Podshivalov.
CAS rejected the athletes’ appeal to be granted direct entry into the games, saying it was now up to the global rowing and swimming federations to decide whether to let them in or not.
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Cleared athletes include the 11-strong boxing and judo teams, 30 volleyballers and beach volleyballers, and eight tennis players. “You can not answer to a violation of a law by another violation of a law”.
