“As a effect, the CAS Panel confirmed that the ROC is not entitled to nominate Russian track and field athletes to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games considering that they are not eligible to participate under the IAAF competition rules”, the CAS ruling said.
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“The CAS has dismissed both the request for arbitration filed by the ROC and 68 claimant athletes, and the appeal filed by 67 of the same athletes against the IAAF decision to consider them as ineligible for the Olympic Games in Rio”. The IOC’s executive committee met to discuss the issue on Tuesday and though it condemned the activities and started disciplinary proceedings against many of those involved, it postponed any announcement on potential blanket ban pending legal advice and the outcome of the CAS hearing.
“I didn’t come into this sport to stop athletes from competing”, he said.
“We can only express our deep regret”, the Kremlin spokesman said, adding that “our relevant agencies will analyze the situation quickly and efficiently”.
Yelena Isinbayeva – a two-time Olympic pole vault champion, has called on the IOC to have the final say after labeling the verdict as “purely political”.
The IAAF said it was pleased that CAS had supported its stance.
Upon the report’s release, the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) blacklisted the national team and warned that unless Russia undertook profound reforms of its anti-doping checks, it would be banned from the Rio games.
Interfax news agency quoted Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko as saying Russian officials would consider what steps to take in the light of the court’s decision, and that things could not be left as they are.
The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) “is not entitled to nominate Russian track and field athletes to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games”, the ruling said. With the track ban upheld, however, the option remains open.
Dmitry Shlyakhtin, the new president of Russia’s athletics federation ARAF, told TASS there is now “no chance” of the world’s biggest country fielding an athletics team in Rio.
The IOC is also mulling whether to follow the IAAF’s decision and ban the entire Russian Federation team from Rio over allegations of state-sponsored doping.
The IAAF suspension past year came after an independent World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report which uncovered a culture of state-sponsored doping.
Litvinov, who has been an outspoken campaigner against drug use in Russian sport, calls on global sports authorities to investigate more cases of doping in other countries, claiming in some throwing events “no one knows who really finished in which place” at major competitions.
The IOC last month accepted the IAAF decision to extend a November ban on the Russian track team.
“For its part, the International Olympic Committee has issued a short statement to say “it takes note” of the CAS decision.(and) will now have to study and analyse” it.
They are members of the first ever Olympic refugee team include athletes from South Sudan, Syria, Congo and Ethiopia who will compete in track and field events plus swimming and judo.
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The Court of Arbitration for Sport is scheduled to issue a verdict Thursday in the case of 68 Russian track and field athletes seeking to overturn the ban imposed by the IAAF following allegations of state-sponsored doping and cover-ups.
