The global governing body for athletics, the IAAF, has upheld an worldwide competition, ban which will rule Russian track and field athletes out of the Games unless the IOC offers a dispensation. “The decision was unanimous – politics did not play a part in that room today”.
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But Coe said Russian athletes based outside of the Russian system “could potentially return to global competition as neutrals once their cases are reviewed by our doping review board”.
“The eligibility of athletes to compete internationally sits and lies with the IAAF”, said Coe.
ST PETERSBURG, June 17 Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would seek the intervention of the World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Olympic Committee over the decision to exclude Russian track and field athletes from the Rio Olympics.
Friday, the International Association of Athletics Federations made a decision to extend the ban that’s kept Russian athletes out of international competition since November, disqualifying Russia’s entire track team from participating in this summer’s Olympic Games.
“It’s not huge from a results perspective (for New Zealand athletes) but it is huge from a confidence perspective that our athletes go in there now knowing that they’re clean and they are doing the right thing and they’ll be competing in a more even playing field”. Russian Minister of Sport Vitaly Mutko and world-record holding pole-vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva have each rejected this idea.
On Wednesday, a new WADA report revealed 52 failed tests since then, and stories of extraordinary attempts to avoid, obstruct or intimidate drug testers.
The suspicion was sparked during the 2014 Winter Games, which were held in Sochi, Russia.
The IOC “took note” of the IAAF decision and announced a telephone meeting of its executive board on Saturday to discuss the next steps.
Its decision could be a defining moment in the fight against drug abuse in sport.
To make matters worse for Russia, an independent investigator appointed by WADA said that the Russian government covered up positive drug tests at the 2013 World Athletics Championships in Moscow. This measure is too harsh for those who were never involved in doping scandals.
“There isn’t and can not be any support on the government level of violations in sport, especially on the question of doping”, he said.
“This is a violation of human rights”, she said.
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He said that, although Russia’s anti-doping agency and athletics body were “rotten to the core”, there would be “appeal opportunities. for someone who can establish their individual integrity”.
