Morozov and Lobintsev are seeking to overturn their bans, claiming the suspensions are “invalid” and “unenforceable”.
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WADA said in a statement it was not possible to release the report of their investigator Richard McLaren earlier than July 18 because the key witness, former Moscow doping lab chief Grigory Rodchenkov, had not shared his information a year ago with another WADA commission. More than 100 Russian athletes – including the track and field team – have been excluded, with more than 250 declared eligible by the federations so far.
President Thomas Bach also took part, along with Rio 2106 president Carlos Nuzman, and the mayor of the Olympic Village, Janeth Arcain.
The IOC’s rejection of a full ban has been harshly criticized by many anti-doping bodies, athletes’ groups and Western media. But Pound said he did not uncover “concrete evidence” that the Russian government was manipulating doping controls.
Despite the torrent of criticism that has hit Russian Federation, which denies any state role, the country has “the political will” to solve the crisis, the minister said.
Nadal hasn’t played since pulling out of the French Open on May 27 before his third-round match because of an injured left wrist. Ferrer said Nadal “looks very good”.
Bach spoke at a ceremony ahead of the IOC’s 129th session, a three-day assembly starting Tuesday.
Efimova, who won a 200m breaststroke bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics, follows Vladimir Morozov and Nikita Lobintsev in taking her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The split between Olympic leaders and global anti-doping officials over the Russian doping scandal continues to escalate.
“While it is destabilising in the lead-up to the Games, it is obvious, given the seriousness of the revelations that he uncovered, that they had to be published and acted upon without delay”.
Bach said the International Olympic Committee was not responsible for the timing of the WADA-commissioned McLaren report and could therefore not be held responsible for the scramble to assess the eligibility of Russian athletes to compete in Rio 2016 just days before the Games are due to start.
“Addressing corruption within the anti-doping system – including state or secret service interference in laboratory operations – will be one of the topics discussed” during a WADA conference in September, the agency said.
The IOC won’t allow Russians to compete in Rio if they had previously been banned for doping, were implicated in the alleged cover-up or had not been tested often enough internationally.
Just days before the Olympic Games, the waterways of Rio de Janeiro are as filthy as ever, contaminated with raw human sewage teeming with unsafe viruses and bacteria, according to a 16-month study commissioned by The Associated Press.
The launching ramp, one of two being used at the Marina da Gloria venue, broke apart on Saturday.
“We would never, ever risk the health or the condition of any athlete for a competition”, said Mario Andrada, chief spokesman for the local organizing committee. “Unfortunately Rio de Janeiro missed the opportunity, maybe the last big opportunity” to clean it up.
Ruggiero, a former USA national defenseman, was a four-time Winter Olympic Games medalist, capturing one gold, two silvers and one bronze during her tenure with the red, white and blue.
The IOC asked worldwide federations to make their own rulings on Russian athlete eligibility for Rio 2016 and has set up an independent IOC panel to give a final decision on eligibility.
The four Aussie Stingers athletes are suffering from a gastro-intestinal illness and were separated from their teammates as soon as the squad landed in Rio on Monday, Australian Olympic boss Kitty Chiller said. “And the athletes don’t run a risk sailing in Guanabara Bay”.
“We have a good level of confidence and ability and combined with that, a great attitude of being positive and backing ourselves”.
Concerns over whether facilities will be ready in time and high-profile athletes opting against travelling to the South American country due to the threat of the Zika virus have long since prompted questions over the choice of Rio as host nation. “The athletes will compete in safety”.
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Rio dumps at least half of its untreated sewage into the water surrounding the city, soiling many of its world-famous beaches.
