IOC Decides Not to Ban All Russian Athletes From Rio Olympics

© AFP 2023 / J. P. Engelbrecht2016 Rio Olympic Games logo. File photo
2016 Rio Olympic Games logo. File photo - Sputnik International
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The International Olympic Committee decided not to ban all Russian national team's athletes from participating 2016 Rio Olympics, according to IOC President Thomas Bach.

"Clean" athletes are allowed to compete under the Russian flag in Rio, Bach added.

"If athletes qualified then they will compete as the members of the team of the Russian Olympic Committee because only a national Olympic committee can enter athletes to the Olympic Games… Contrary to the national federation of track and field the Russian Olympic Committee is not suspended."

If the IAAF allowes "special clearance" for any Russian track and field athletes, they will compete under the Russian flag, not under the Olympic or neutral one, he said.

However, the Olympic summit supports the ruling by the IAAF on the disqualification of Russian athletes on doping charges, the IOC president said.

"The Summit confirmed the respect and the approval and the support for the decision having been taken by IAAF last Friday," Bach told reporters.

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Earlier, the Council of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) refused to allow Russian athletes to participate in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The IOC said that it has "serious doubts" that athletes from Russia and Kenya are "clean."

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"Each athlete coming from these two countries [Russia and Kenya] will have to [be] declared eligible by the respective international federation following an individual procedure and an individual evaluation of the situation."

The International Olympic Committee called on WADA to hold a global anti-doping conference in 2017 to fully review the existing system.

In December 2014, German ARD channel released a film titled "The Doping Secret: How Russia Creates Champions" on alleged doping abuse and corruption in Russian sports. The film was followed up by documentaries with further allegations.

Following the release of the film, WADA launched an investigation into the allegations of doping abuse in Russian sports. In November 2015, WADA's Independent Commission issued a report accusing Russia of numerous breaches of global anti-doping regulations. The IAAF suspended the Russian Athletic Federation's membership as a result.

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