International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach is apparently against the idea, but is under mounting pressure to either apply a total ban, or ensure that all Russian competitors are individually examined before competing. “We are speaking here about field and track athletes, who had been preparing hard for the Olympics, who have nothing to do with doping, who have nothing to do with none of accusations and suspicions, who had regularly been tested by foreign anti-doping agencies”.
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In another blow to the image of the sports superpower, the highest court in sports on Thursday dismissed an appeal by 68 Russian track athletes of the ban imposed by the IAAF following allegations of systematic and state-sponsored doping.
Sports officials in Moscow condemned the ruling as “political”, and said some athletes might take their case to civil courts. Olympic bodies and athletes sign up to CAS jurisdiction, and its rulings have very rarely been overturned.
The Russians argued against a collective ban of its track athletes, saying it punishes those who have not been accused of wrongdoing.
However, some Russian fans have turned on her since she received permission to compete, calling her a traitor and demanding she refuse her Olympic spot in solidarity with banned teammates.
“Now it is for the International Olympic Committee to determine if these athletes can be confirmed or not”, he said.
Following the ruling, CAS secretary general Matthieu Reeb said the ROC could appeal against the decision in the Swiss Federal Court.
But he added: “This is not a day for triumphant statements”. Thursday’s hearing and decision from the Court potentially had many more ramifications beyond the 68 athletes competing in track and field, as it came just two days after another report from WADA. It details incidents during both the 2014 Winter Olympics and leading up to the upcoming Summer Games in Rio.
Russian Federation is strongly opposed to such a ban and Zhukov said any unilateral decision to quit the Games would also be wrong. The IOC has scheduled another board meeting on Sunday to consider the issue.
World hurdles champion Sergei Shubenkov says he’ll drown his sorrows: “I will get drunk”. “In the opinion of CAS, because the national federation is suspended, normally these athletes should not compete in Rio, but the International Olympic Committee was not a party in these conversations and our decision is not binding on the International Olympic Committee”.
The IAAF has also allowed Russian doping whistleblower Yulia Stepanova to race, but the 800-meter runner is struggling with injury and has not set a competitive time this year. It is a sporting powerhouse whose absence from Rio would create the biggest crisis in decades for the Olympic movement.
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In comments on her Instagram page, Isinbayeva suggested that some of her foreign rivals could be doping and wanted Russian Federation banned to make the competition easier.
