“The Hellenic Olympic Committee has requested the testing of every Greek athlete taking part in the Games”.
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The Lausanne-based court said barring them from the Games “does not respect the athletes’ right of natural justice”.
The court ruled on Thursday that the International Olympic Committee could not automatically exclude Russian athletes caught doping in the past but who had served their punishments.
Efimova, the breaststroke specialist and four-times world champion, posted a picture of herself on Instagram accompanied by the caption: “I’m going to the Olympics”.
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. “I couldn’t be more proud and relieved”.
Alexander Zhukov said it was unfair Russian sports stars such as double Olympic champion pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva would now watch the Games from home while past doping offenders, including top United States runner Justin Gatlin, took to the field.
Efimova was provisionally suspended by swimming governing body FINA in March after a positive test for meldonium, the endurance-boosting drug banned from January.
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.
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Isinbayeva can no doubt count on the votes from Russia’s diminished team in Rio but she may struggle for support elsewhere, given her high-profile campaign against Russia’s punishment for systemic and widespread doping. The toughest attacks have come from his native Germany, some officials called for him to resign.
