Moss Burmester swam for NZ at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics and has labelled the decision to allow Russia’s athletes to compete in Rio ‘a complete sellout’.
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The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has said it is very concerned by the message that Russian runner Yuliya Stepanova’s ban from next month’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro sends to future whistleblowers.
The IOC had said this week that it would not organise or give patronage to any sports event in Russia and that no member of the Russian Sports Ministry implicated in the McLaren report would be accredited for Rio.
“In this way we are protecting the clean athletes because of the high criteria we set”.
The IOC have stated that they will invite Stepanova and her husband, fellow whistleblower Vitaliy Stepanov, to Rio 2016, while they claim to be ready to support her in continuing her sports career and potentially joining a National Olympic Committee.
Wada had urged the IOC to ban all athletes submitted by the Russian Olympic Committee for both the Rio Games and the Paralympics, with individual exceptions to be considered by the IOC for participation under a neutral flag.
Bach acknowledged the decision “might not please everybody”, but was conscious of protecting innocent Russian athletes.
“I think in this way, we have balanced on the one hand, the desire and need for collective responsibility versus the right to individual justice of every individual athlete.”, International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said.
Tygart, however, questioned why the International Olympic Committee “would pass the baton to sports federations who may lack the adequate expertise or collective will to appropriately address the situation within the short window prior to the games”.
He added later in televised comments that he was convinced that the “majority” of the Russian team would meet strict criteria to compete.
World Archery, the sport’s global governing body, said Russia’s three qualified archers, Tuiana Dashidorzhieva, Ksenia Perova and Inna Stepanova, have all been “tested extensively” and never previously committed a doping offence.
But Tygart voiced the feelings of many when he said: “The decision to refuse her entry is incomprehensible and will undoubtedly deter whistle-blowers from coming forward”. Many are still waiting for information from McLaren’s report.
Russian Federation has named a team of 387 competitors.
Immediately following the IOC announcement, the International Tennis Federation said eight players already met the eligibility requirements.
“My question is this: If you treat the cancer by cutting off the patient’s head and killing him, do you consider this as a victory in the fight?” he said in remarks released later.
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And Tygart said: “How one federation can already have come out in saying that they’ve gone through the process highlights the problem”.
