The International Olympic Committee has drawn major criticism after rejecting an all-out ban, preferring to leave the decision to individual sports governing bodies, leaving international federations just 12 days to vet competitors.
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IOC president Thomas Bach defended the decision not to ban all Russians from the Olympics by insisting clean athletes should not be punished, but Wickenheiser, as well as former Olympic freestyle skiing champion Jean-Luc Brassard, said putting the decision in the hands of individual federations is not the solution.
Russian Federation has been under intense scrutiny since late past year, when a WADA, report alleged organized doping among athletes, coaches and officials in the sport of track and field. But many International Olympic Committee members were said to be reluctant to ban a country completely for the first time over doping.
No competitor or national federation named in the report issued last week by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) can be considered.
The IOC’s controversial decision, less than two weeks before the Olympics start on 5 August, also stipulates that only Russians with no prior doping convictions will be admitted to compete in Rio.
Anti-doping leaders had argued that the extent of state-backed doping in Russian Federation had tainted the country’s entire sports system, and the only way to ensure a level playing field was to bar the whole team, even if some innocent athletes will lose out.
Burmester believes political reasons were behind the IOC’s decision to let the Russians compete, with the decision made over fear of backlash.
Following the IOC announcement, the International Tennis Federation said eight players already met the eligibility requirements, pending confirmation from WADA that they were not implicated in the McLaren report.
Despite the International Olympic Committee saying it would not accept the entry of any Russian athlete that could not meet a list of conditions, sports minister Tracey Crouch was left underwhelmed by the IOC’s decision. “We did not want to penalize athletes who are clean with a collective ban and, therefore, keeping them out of the Games”.
The World Anti-Doping Agency and 14 national anti-doping organisations had urged the International Olympic Committee to impose a blanket ban following the allegations. “However it recognized the IAAF right to set such criteria that, regrettably, ban our athletes from the Olympic Games”.
An expert from the Court of Arbitration for Sport must also approve each individual decision.
Only athletes who pass “reliable adequate worldwide tests” will compete, and Russian tests were deemed invalid, according to the statement.
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“We have created and been through the process”.
