Russia’s weightlifting team was barred on Friday from participating in the Rio Olympics due to doping.
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Russia’s fight to reinstate their banned track and field athletes to the Olympics suffered a further blow on Friday night as the country’s weightlifting team were also thrown out en bloc.
Both have requested that CAS, which has set up special courts in Rio, declare “invalid and unenforceable” an International Olympic Committee order for federations to exclude athletes implicated in an investigation on doping in Russia. Hartfield finished fifth at the U.S. Olympic trials earlier this month and was next in line for a spot because he had reached a qualifying standard earlier in the year.
In the wake of the massive Russian doping scandal, the International Olympic Committee has left it up to individual sport federations decide on whether to ban Russian athletes from competing in the Rio Olympics after the massive state-sponsored doping scheme was made public.
The Russians are making a last-ditch effort to reinstate 19 rowers.
“They’re now in Portugal”, But said.
Later on Thursday, Isinbayeva announced on her Instagram account that her individual appeal had also been rejected by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
But adds that his rowers “are training and are ready to travel” to Rio at short notice if they win their case.
According to the BBC, “Two of the eight-strong weightlifting team had already been banned for prior violations, and another four were named in the McLaren report into the issue”. Current world champion hurdler Sergey Shubenkov, as well as 2012 Olympic high jump champion Ivan Ukhov, and 2013 world champion silver medalist triple jumper Ekaterina Koneva are reportedly taking part. Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko on Friday told local media that 272 of the country’s athletes had been approved by global sports federations, out of an original team of 387, adding that the number could rise.
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The IOC has said any Russian athlete with a doping past, including Stepanova, would not be allowed to compete in Rio as it tightened controls following the fallout from the doping scandal involving their country.
