Senior IOC member Dick Pound on Saturday (Aug 6) slammed the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC’s) lack of “moral leadership” over the Russian Federation doping crisis and said the organisation now faces a battle to restore its credibility.
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Two-time world freestyle champion Viktor Lebdev was barred from competing in Rio because of previous doping violations in compliance with the new criteria of authorising Russian athletes to participate at the 2016 Games.
Efimova was provisionally suspended by swimming governing body FINA in March after a positive test for meldonium, the endurance-boosting drug banned from January.
Efimova has been a flashpoint in the Russian doping scandal because she not only served a 16-month suspension for doping, she tested positive again this year for the now-banned substance meldonium.
In a freakish turn to the Russian doping scandal, world swimming governing body FINA finally revealed Saturday that Efimova will indeed be taking part in the 100-meter breaststroke.
The Swiss-based court for sports ruled on Friday to allow two Russian rowers, who had been previously sanctioned for doping infractions and had served their penalties, to enter the Summer Games.
The IOC has banned more than 100 Russian athletes from the Rio games but decided against banning Russia’s entire team.
There were 436 Russians at the 2012 London Games when they won 82 medals, including 24 golds. We want as many NOCs as possible to be represented at every Olympic Games and we are delighted that here in Rio de Janeiro more countries than ever before will come together in the pursuit of their Olympic dreams.
“This was a ideal opportunity for the International Olympic Committee to provide moral leadership in regard to a country that showed complete contempt for the rules of the game”.
He did vow, though, to continue his criticism and call for an Extraordinary IOC Session to take place next year in order to discuss the problem of doping.
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But Russian Olympic Committee president Alexander Zhukov has protested that his country has faced discrimination in the handling of the sanctions. International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has criticised Wada and called for its reform.
