On Friday, the IAAF provisionally suspended the All-Russia Athletics Federation (ARAF) amid allegations of state-sponsored doping following the publication of a report by an independent commission established by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
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IOC President Thomas Bach expressed confidence Sunday in the ability of Brazilian authorities to protect next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in the wake of the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris.
“This is not only an attack on the people of France and Paris, this is an attack on humanity and all humanitarian and Olympic Values”.
“I would’ve thought IOC’s prime job now is to look beyond athletics in Russia and check there is not something systemic that extends into other sports, because we may well find as the months go on that other sports in which Russia excelled at the Olympics are dragged into the scandal as RUSADA, the anti-doping agency in Russia, is not just responsible for athletics”.
Bach says security will be discussed when IOC officials travel to Rio in coming days for their latest review of Olympic preparations. The games, the first in South America, start on August 5.
“Brazil has become a leading example for (security at) major events”, Andrei Rodrigues, secretary for large events in Brazil’s justice ministry, said in an interview with CBN radio.
Paris is one of five finalists for the bid, which also includes Rome; Los Angeles; Hamburg, Germany; and Budapest, Hungary. The International Olympic Committee will select the host city in September 2017.
Bach said the attacks should not harm the Paris bid.
“We are talking about an Olympic Games which is taking place in nine years time”, said Bach.
“They know that nobody knows how the world will be in nine years, and they know that terrorism is not a French or a Parisian problem, that it is a global challenge”.
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One of Friday’s attacks happened at Stade de France, which would serve as the main stadium for Paris’ Olympic festivities. Terrorism is not restricted to sports events.
