The case dates back to November, when the IAAF suspended Russia’s track and field federation following a WADA commission report that alleged systematic and state-backed doping.
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Track superstar Usain Bolt has welcomed the decision to uphold a ban on Russian athletes at next month’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Despite all the uncertainty and calls from some rival countries for Russian Federation to be banned en masse from Rio, its Olympic committee pressed on with its preparations, approving a 387-strong team to compete in the Games starting on August 5. “The CAS award upholds the rights of the IAAF to use its rules for the protection of the sport, to protect clean athletes and support the credibility and integrity of competition”, the statement added.
The worldwide rowing federation said Wednesday it was investigating whether Russian rowers’ places at the Rio Olympics could be reallocated to athletes from other countries “if there would be a blanket ban on the Russian team or any other ban”. I didn’t come into this sport to stop athletes from competing.
Former World Indoor Championship gold medal victor Derval O’Rourke has said it would be “naive” to think athletics’ doping problems start and end with the Russians, and implored WADA to step up the fight against cheating in all countries.
The Kremlin expressed “deep regret” over the court’s decision and it had “no legal basis”.
Former World Anti-Doping Agency President John Fahey said it was “clear-cut” that the country should not be allowed to participate in the Rio games.
The ROC and 68 global athletes from Russian Federation had appealed to the CAS against the IAAF’s decision.
Following the ruling, CAS secretary general Matthieu Reeb said the ROC could appeal against the decision in the Swiss Federal Court.
Official Russian reaction to the CAS decision has been defiant, with President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman telling TASS it was “hardly acceptable” and Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko calling it “biased and politicised”.
The verdict will exclude Russian athletes, except long jumper Darya Klishina, from the upcoming Rio Olympics.
The IOC executive board held a meeting by teleconference on Tuesday to consider its steps in the wake of the McLaren report, which found that 28 summer and winter Olympic sports were affected by state-operated cheating in Russian Federation.
With Russia’s track and field stars having lost their appeal, attention now turns to the entire Olympic team and the IOC’s meeting at the weekend.
Some Russians athletes could compete in Rio as neutrals if they meet a number of criteria, including being repeatedly tested outside their homeland. “We have made it very clear that we want to ensure fair play and the well-being of athletes”.
But all hope is not lost for Russian Federation.
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“The fact that the new findings are saying that (Russia’s) secret service are involved in this, it scares me”, she said.
