The IOC chose a set of criteria for Russian athletes to meet in order to take part, including a clean doping past, and so far this has cleared the path for more than 250 of the original 387-strong team to go for Olympic gold.
Advertisement
Rejecting calls for a blanket ban on Russia, the International Olympic Committee decided on July 24 that individual sports federations should investigate athletes implicated in the report and decide who should be excluded.
The IOC’s executive board announced the move Saturday in its final regular meeting before opening ceremonies.
‘I don’t think this event will be damaging, ‘ said the German.
Thomas Bach, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) boss says a three-person panel will have the final say on which Russian athletes can compete at the Rio Games.
Never mind that a three-man panel has only now been appointed to decide if those Russians will be allowed to remain in Brazil to compete.
Bach is known to enjoy a close relationship with President Putin and he was asked directly yesterday if his leniency was a result of pressure from his Russian political allies.
“No, I haven’t been talking to any Russian government officials since the publication of the McLaren report”, said Bach. “The IOC can not be made responsible for the timing of the incidents we have to face now, a couple of days before the Games”. “In a sense, WADA has gotten us into this mess because the Russian athletes, who are now being banned, many of them, got through clean dope tests through WADA accredited laboratories”, he said.
He added: “In these hard decisions you will never have a 100 per cent majority”.
He said that banning the entire team from Rio couldn’t be justified on legal or moral grounds.
She also earns a seat on the IOC’s influential executive board.
“The McLaren report revealed a system which is an attack on our Games and an attack on our values but you can not deny the right of athletes to attempt to prove their innocence”.
That follows the recent sting of reports of state-sponsored doping.
Bach says several hiccups at the athletes’ village have been solved, that water quality at the sailing venue is according to the standards of the World Health Organization, and that the crucial metro line to Olympic venues has finally opened.
Advertisement
Speaking at a news conference five days before the opening of the games, Bach said a total ban on Russian Federation “would not be justifiable” on either moral or legal grounds. We are looking forward to a great Games here in Rio. “There will be, as always, some late challenges. But we have seen that this can be addressed by our hosts”.
