The torch rode the waves into Rio on Thursday in the hands of veteran Brazilian surfer Rico de Souza, a day after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced surfing – a major pastime in Brazil – would be one of five new sports included in the 2020 Olympics.
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French President Francois Hollande, whose country is bidding for the 2024 Games, toured Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic Park on Thursday, met with members of his national swim team and posed for photos in front of the Olympic rings.
Instead it opted for a set of criteria for athletes to meet, including a clean doping past and sufficient testing at worldwide events, which allowed the majority of Russian athletes to be cleared by a three-person IOC panel.
Meanwhile Russia has seen dozens of its athletes barred from competing due to concerns over state-sponsored doping.
“They scrutinised the recommendations by the IFs and then finally the panel, to which the International Olympic Committee delegated this task, has analysed both the recommendations of the IFs and the advice of the CAS panel expert and then has taken its decision”.
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.
He said at a media conference: “We have informed the worldwide federations and now we need to inform first the global federations of the athletes and the NOC concerned before we can publish the final results”.
“With this reanalysis program we have already identified that almost a hundred athletes tested positive and they can not participate in these Olympic Games”.
The court says it should now be up to the International Rowing Federation to decide “without delay” whether or not Karabelshikova and Podshivalov can compete.
The International Boxing Association has confirmed that all 11 registered Russian boxers would be cleared to compete by the IOC panel.
It’s not the first time CAS has struck down an International Olympic Committee anti-doping measure.
Temer has said he expects to be heckled when he makes a short announcement declaring the Games open.
The news means that more than 100 competitors of the original 387-strong Russian team have been banned from competing in Rio. Many began moving into the Olympic Village on Thursday.
“I believe it’s very unfair that such athletes like Yelena Isinbayeva and Sergei Shubenkov, without any doping history, absolutely clean, can not participate in the Olympics, however many athletes including American runners like for example (Justin) Gatlin and Tyson (Gay), who were punished for doping many times, will take part in these Olympics”, he said.
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And many balked at the brief span of time between WADA’s report and the Olympics opening ceremony on August 5th – a brief two weeks.
