A total of 271 Russian athletes were cleared to take part in the Rio Olympics, Alexander Zhukov, president of the Russian Olympics Committee, told reporters in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday. That largely settling the question of Russia’s participation less than 24 hours before the opening ceremonies.
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The Stepanovs provided evidence that formed the basis of a World Anti-Doping Agency independent commission report released in November.
Only one IOC member raised his hand in opposition to Bach’s question: Britain’s Adam Pengilly, whose term on the committee ends after these Olympics.
Russian Federation will have 271 athletes competing at the Rio Olympics, the International Olympic Committee announced Thursday.
“The Russian team may have experienced the toughest checks of the Olympics, because they had to go through multiple tests and [checks]”, Zhukov said.
In July, the Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) prohibited all Russian athletes from taking part in global competitions, including the upcoming Rio Olympics, over doping allegations.
Chief of sport performance Alan Ashley said he’s spent a lot of time in the athletes’ village and hasn’t heard a word about doping or Russian Federation.
Meldonium was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances from January 1, but some positive tests were later overturned after the agency said there was a lack of clear scientific evidence about how long it takes for the drug to be excreted from the body.
“On top of all that, Russian athletes are going through additional testing which is taking place at the Olympic Village”.
The decision was announced Thursday with respect to the appeals of one swimmer, Yulia Efimova, and two rowers, Anastasia Karabelshikova and Ivan Podshivalov.
Stepanova had hoped to compete as an independent athlete under he International Olympic Committee flag. The court determined that this paragraph resulted in “an additional sanction”, and thus did not respect the athletes’ right of natural justice, nevertheless leaving the issue to determine the eligibility of appellants to the respective sport’s global federations.
Lars Mortsiefe of Germany’s National Anti-Doping Agency said the IOC’s decision “sends a poor signal for clean and fair sports”.
“I believe it’s very unfair that such athletes like Yelena Isinbayeva and Sergei Shubenkov, without any doping history, absolutely clean, can not participate in the Olympics, however many athletes including American runners like for example (Justin) Gatlin and Tyson (Gay), who were punished for doping many times, will take part in these Olympics”, he said.
But the governing bodies for boxing, judo, fencing, and several other sports cleared the Russians to compete.
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Russia, who finished fourth on the London 2012 Olympic medals table and have topped the table seven times, will have their smallest team since 1912 at the Rio Games, which open on Friday.
