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International Olympic Committee Allows 271 Russian Athletes for Rio Games

The International Shooting Sport Federation has also cleared 18 Russian shooters to compete in Rio.

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Russian Olympic Committee chief Alexander Zhukov walks past Russian team members during a farewell ceremony at Sheremetyevo International Airport outside Moscow July 28, 2016.

But the International Olympic Committee is continuing to hear Russian cases, and more athletes could be allowed to compete before the games end.

“The Review Panel subsequently reviewed the position of the independent arbitrator appointed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in relation to the evidence provided to meet those criteria”.

Zhukov said it was “unfair” that athletes from other countries who have previously served drugs bans, such as American sprinter Justin Gatlin, will compete in Rio.

The unpleasant tableau was seen by numerous Olympic delegations as they arrived at Rio’s Olympic Park ahead of the Summer 2016 Olympic Games which begin Friday.

The ruling on the eve of the games starting August 5 came as the Olympic committee announced that 271 of Russia’s 389 Olympic athletes were cleared to participate, including all 20 Russian gymnasts.

While all Russian weightlifters have been banned, all of the country’s boxers have been allowed to compete.

The Russian Tass news agency meanwhile quoted Vladimir Tokmakov, Russian consul general in Rio, saying no member of staff had “anything to do with the incident”.

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. But Nichols added that WADA can only make recommendations and has to respect the final decision of the IOC.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport partially upheld the appeal, sending the case back to the International Rowing Federation to decide on their eligibility “without delay”.

More than 100 Russian athletes, including the track and field team, are reported to have been banned from the Games. More recently, anti-doping officials retested samples from athletes who competed in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

“That was something I didn’t have time to do and I made it very clear that was not part of the report”.

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“We have informed the worldwide federations and we need to inform the athletes and the NOC’s concerned before we can publish the final results, this procedure is underway”, said Bach, seemingly impervious to criticism about the shambolic run-up to the 31st Olympiad.

Getty Images       Russian judo team given Rio green light