A number of other federations, such as the International Rowing Federation – which banned 22 out of 28 Russians hoping to compete in Rio – have imposed sanctions on Russian athletes who were named in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) McLaren report but have not actually tested positive for any banned substances.
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Executive Board decision to let International Federations decide which Russian athletes are able to compete at Rio 2016, rather than impose a blanket ban on all Russians.
The news followed a run of decisions from sports which saw Russian Federation lose athletes due to their involvement in the country’s recently-uncovered, state-run doping programme, or because they had already served doping bans before.
Some 1.5 million visitors are expected in Rio to attend the Olympic Games, which are being held from 5 – 21 August.
“We have taken swift action and removed all offending athletes where doping evidence exists”, said ICF secretary general Simon Toulson.
“The IOC had to make a hard decision”, Bach told the agency.
With the Rio Olympics fast approaching sports federations have precious little time to deal with Russian competitors, some of whom are already in Brazil.
The men’s coxless four rowers are the latest New Zealand athletes to be punished by the International Olympic Committee’s abdication of responsibility over Russia’s systemic doping.
The responsibility for repairing the country’s tarnished reputation is squarely on their shoulders: If they can win under these circumstances, they’ll show that Russian Federation is still a global sports power despite the way its high achievement programmeme has been run under President Vladimir Putin.
A total of 108 Russians have been banned from competing, including 67 out of 68 from the athletics team.
Awaiting decision on 30 volleyball and beach volleyball competitors by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB).
Modern pentathlon’s governing body said Maksim Kustov and Ilia Frolov had been implicated in the McLaren report and were being booted from Rio.
Russian officials have expressed confidence that their entire boxing, handball and rhythmic gymnastics teams will be allowed to compete but no official decision has yet been announced.
President Vladimir Putin will meet members of Russia’s Olympic team on Wednesday as the list of its athletes banned from the Rio Games over revelations of state-run doping soared above 100.
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He also reiterated the IOC’s position that the anti-doping system must be made independent of sports organizations and said that he was pleased that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which was conceived by the International Olympic Committee now sanctions athletes who test positive for performance-enhancing drugs rather than the International Olympic Committee itself. The three other registered Russian athletes are allowed to compete.
