MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – Better late than never for the Australian women’s eights rowing team at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, even if they’ll have to borrow a boat and oars.
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Russia’s Olympic team could number more than 200 after fencing, triathlon and volleyball became the latest sports to declare the country’s athletes eligible for Rio.
“The FIE has re-examined the results from 197 tests taken by Russian athletes in 35 countries, including Russia, between 2014 and 2016”, an FIE statement read.
Only six Russian rowers have been given the go ahead to compete in the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio.
Gribranov’s sailing partner Pavel Sozykin was denied eligibility based on the findings of the McLaren report, but World Sailing has recommended that the Russian Olympic Committee will have the opportunity to nominate a last-minute replacement.
Volleyball’s global federation, the FIVB, announced it too was submitting all 44 of Russia’s roster for the beach and indoor competitions to the worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) and Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for final approval.
That’s over a quarter of the 3-hundred-87-strong Russian delegation that had been picked before the International Olympic Committee on Sunday left it to individual sports’ governing bodies to make their own decisions on their athletes.
But they reassembled in Melbourne last weekend after the possibility of an Olympic call-up because of Russian athletes facing expulsion over doping.
Russian Federation won three Olympic fencing medals at London 2012, two silvers and a bronze. In his native Germany, IOC President Thomas Bach is facing increasing criticism for failing to impose a complete ban on Russia’s team.
Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko sent a letter on Monday to IAAF president Lord Coe, asking him to reverse the ban, but said on Wednesday that his request had been refused.
“Additionally, they have all been tested outside of Russian Federation”. Controversially, among the Russians banned is Yuliya Stepanova, the 800m runner who lifted the lid on systematic doping and corruption in Russian athletics.
Russian Federation has the option of forming a men’s four team from the six who have been given the green light to compete.
Several Russian competitors have been ruled out from swimming, rowing and canoeing.
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Russian officials have expressed confidence that their entire boxing and rhythmic gymnastics teams will be allowed to compete but no official decision has yet been announced.
