Two-time road cycling medalist at the London Olympics Olga Zabelinskaya has been admitted to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games opening on Friday, secretary general of the Russian Cycling Federation Yuri Kucheryavy told TASS. The original size of the Russian team was 389.
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“The leadership of the Greek Olympic team in Rio announces the positive first sample of a member of the team during drugs testing conducted in early July in Athens”, stated the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC).
“I m going to the Olympics”, Efimova, the 24-year-old breaststroke world champion and 2012 Olympic bronze medallist, said on Instagram. “I couldn’t be more proud and relieved”.
Although there was no immediate confirmation from swimming’s governing body of the reinstatements, and start lists remain unaltered, the Russian news agency R-Sport quoted Vladimir Salnikov, head of the country’s swimming federation, as saying Fina had written to Cas to confirm it supported the readmission of Efimova and other previously banned Russian swimmers.
Several other Russian swimmers were initially banned from the Rio Games due to their links to doping.
“For Viktor Lebedev, all is well”, delegation chief Igor Kazikov said, adding that Lebedev, who appealed against a ban along with other Russian athletes, had been authorised to compete by a special International Olympic Committee commission.
The CAS decision could force other federations, who were asked by the International Olympic Committee to recommend which Russians could compete, to reconsider their lists.
“As a result, we will not file an appeal to CAS”. Subsequently, the Russian national team was removed from participation in the Rio Olympics. The difference is that Americans are from the United States and Russians are from Russia. Some have already been taken away because of doping offences however.
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McLaren has insisted he has evidence “beyond reasonable doubt” of Russian state involvement in the doping. As the ANOC representative on the Rio 2016 Coordination Commission I have tried to ensure that the voice of the NOCs has been heard throughout the preparations for the Games and their interests have always been represented.
