Yulia Stepanova, the key whistleblower in the Russian doping scandal, said on Thursday she is not a traitor to her country.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t consider myself a traitor as they portray me in Russia. I think the traitors are those who have created the system. Those who give drugs to young athletes and ruining the future of those athletes and force them to become haters of sport. I was trying to tell the truth. I saw a lot of ruined careers of sportsmen,&quot; Stepanova told Reuters. 
 
Her disclosure of state-sponsored, however, doping almost led to Russia being completely excluded from the Rio de Janeiro Games. 
 
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) invited the middle-distance athlete and her husband to attend next month&#39;s Games as guests but denied her a competitive spot in Rio, arguing her doping-tainted past made her ineligible. 
&nbsp; 
Stepanova&#39;s husband Vitaly, a former Russian sports official, said the couple would not be appealing the IOC ban with CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport). &quot;We will not appeal to CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) the decision about Yulia. It is not enough time. That was not our intention to go to courts. Our intention was to make sports cleaner and hopefully try to set up some future program for whistleblowers,&quot; Vitaly said in the living room of their tiny apartment. 
 
&#39;Would like to apologise for my past&#39;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I would like to apologise for my past. I doped and I&#39;m not using that as an excuse but to tell about what was going on you had to be on the inside of what was happening.I regret that I believed in that system and that I trusted those people who said that was the only way to join the national team,&quot; Stepanova told Reuters. 
 
Stepanova, who provided evidence of doping in a series of German broadcaster ARD documentaries, has fled Russia and is living in hiding at an undisclosed location in North America, fearing for her safety. 
 
Sunday&#39;s decision by the IOC ruling out a total ban on Russia was a clear disappointment for many athletes campaigning for clean sport. 
 
&quot;We don&#39;t know for sure but to us, it seems that the IOC doesn&#39;t have a zero-tolerance policy to doping and in fact, with the decision about Russia it seems that it sends the opposite signal. That if you run a systematic state-sponsored doping program you will not be sanctioned for it and in this regard there will be Russian athletes who have doping in preparation and athletes from other countries as well,&quot; Vitaly said. 
 
Stepanova was cleared to compete in Rio as a neutral athlete by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and received praise for revealing one of the biggest doping scandals in decades. 
 
However, the IOC ruled on Sunday that any Russian athlete with a doping past, including Stepanova, would not be allowed to compete in Rio. 
 
&quot;The executive board have appreciated that she came forward and she and her husband, who also played a very important role, are being invited to the Olympic Games as a guest of the IOC,&quot; IOC President Thomas Bach said. 
 
Unfortunately, she could not compete due to her doping background, Bach added. An online petition requesting the IOC reconsider the ban has collected thousands of signatures. &quot;I think it&#39;s amazing that so many people believe in us and support us. It&#39;s true. It&#39;s happened,&quot; Yulia said Vitaly Stapanov said the couple were determined to keep fighting for clean sport despite their recent setback. 
 
&quot;The reason we started whistleblowing is that we saw there is a problem in our home country and it&#39;s unfortunate there are corrupt sport officials setting up these kinds of systems in our home country again but I don&#39;t think that should be used as an excuse for not fighting corruption and doping and that was the reason we decided to fight it or at least try to fight it.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

'I don't consider myself a traitor as they portray me in Russia. I think the traitors are those who have created the system,' said Stepanova

Yulia Stepanova, the key whistleblower in the Russian doping scandal, said on Thursday she is not a traitor to her country. "I don't consider myself a traitor as they portray me in Russia. I think the traitors are those who have created the system. Those who give drugs to young athletes and ruining the future of those athletes and force them to become haters of sport. I was trying to tell the truth. I saw a lot of ruined careers of sportsmen," Stepanova told Reuters. Her disclosure of state-sponsored, however, doping almost led to Russia being completely excluded from the Rio de Janeiro Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) invited the middle-distance athlete and her husband to attend next month's Games as guests but denied her a competitive spot in Rio, arguing her doping-tainted past made her ineligible. Stepanova's husband Vitaly, a former Russian sports official, said the couple would not be appealing the IOC ban with CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport). "We will not appeal to CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) the decision about Yulia. It is not enough time. That was not our intention to go to courts. Our intention was to make sports cleaner and hopefully try to set up some future program for whistleblowers," Vitaly said in the living room of their tiny apartment. 'Would like to apologise for my past' "I would like to apologise for my past. I doped and I'm not using that as an excuse but to tell about what was going on you had to be on the inside of what was happening.I regret that I believed in that system and that I trusted those people who said that was the only way to join the national team," Stepanova told Reuters. Stepanova, who provided evidence of doping in a series of German broadcaster ARD documentaries, has fled Russia and is living in hiding at an undisclosed location in North America, fearing for her safety. Sunday's decision by the IOC ruling out a total ban on Russia was a clear disappointment for many athletes campaigning for clean sport. "We don't know for sure but to us, it seems that the IOC doesn't have a zero-tolerance policy to doping and in fact, with the decision about Russia it seems that it sends the opposite signal. That if you run a systematic state-sponsored doping program you will not be sanctioned for it and in this regard there will be Russian athletes who have doping in preparation and athletes from other countries as well," Vitaly said. Stepanova was cleared to compete in Rio as a neutral athlete by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and received praise for revealing one of the biggest doping scandals in decades. However, the IOC ruled on Sunday that any Russian athlete with a doping past, including Stepanova, would not be allowed to compete in Rio. "The executive board have appreciated that she came forward and she and her husband, who also played a very important role, are being invited to the Olympic Games as a guest of the IOC," IOC President Thomas Bach said. Unfortunately, she could not compete due to her doping background, Bach added. An online petition requesting the IOC reconsider the ban has collected thousands of signatures. "I think it's amazing that so many people believe in us and support us. It's true. It's happened," Yulia said Vitaly Stapanov said the couple were determined to keep fighting for clean sport despite their recent setback. "The reason we started whistleblowing is that we saw there is a problem in our home country and it's unfortunate there are corrupt sport officials setting up these kinds of systems in our home country again but I don't think that should be used as an excuse for not fighting corruption and doping and that was the reason we decided to fight it or at least try to fight it." (Reuters)

Russia doping scandal: Key whistleblower says she is no 'traitor'

Four-time Olympic rowing champion Matthew Pinsent led a cacophony of British condemnation of the International Olympic Committee&#39;s (IOC) decision not to ban the whole Russian team from next month&#39;s Rio Olympics. 
 
There would have been little place for the IOC or its president Thomas Bach to hide with the brickbats they received, the IOC being described as &quot;spineless&quot; and Bach being labelled -- among other things -- &quot;a Pontius Pilate figure&quot;. 
 
Pinsent said the IOC performed a &quot;hospital pass&quot; on Sunday in asking sports federations to decide who from the Russian team could compete in Rio after the revelations of state-run doping directed from Moscow. 
 
&quot;IOC has passed the buck -- pure and simple,&quot; wrote the 45-year-old Pinsent in The Times, whilst fellow rowing Olympic legend James Cracknell said the IOC &quot;bottled it&quot;. 
 
Defending Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford also weighed in. 
 
&quot;(The IOC&#39;s decision) is a spineless attempt to appear as the nice guy to both sides,&quot; the 29-year-old told The&nbsp;Guardian newspaper. 
 
Athletics&#39; world governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF), has banned the Russian track and field team from the Rio Games, which start in less than two weeks. 
 
&quot;Athletics set the right sentiment for a clean and believable sport,&quot; said the outspoken Rutherford, who will defend his crown in Rio. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re not there, we may never get there -- I am still very unhappy that many convicted cheats continue to compete -- but without a consequence for institutional-level actions how on earth do we expect to make any progress (on drug cheating)?&quot; 
 
IOC president dubbed as &#39;weak leader&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Another set to compete in Brazil, oarsman Andrew Triggs Hodge, wrote in The Times he would find it hard to believe that he would be competing against clean athletes. 
 
He could go up at the Olympics against three Russians who were part of a team disqualified when one of their number failed a dope test in July. 
 
&quot;Thomas Bach, the IOC president, has shown extraordinarily weak leadership,&quot; wrote Triggs Hodge. 
 
&quot;This was a moment in his career when he could define himself as an anti-doping champion. It needs someone of character, principle and mind to drive the IOC forward and he has completely neglected that.&quot; 
 
There was widespread sympathy too for Russian whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova, who served a two year-ban for doping and was informed by the IOC on Sunday she would not be allowed to compete at the Games. 
 
It was her disclosures about rampant Russian doping that sparked the scandal. 
 
&quot;The IOC has thanked her and offered her a trip to watch the Olympics in Rio,&quot; wrote Pinsent. 
 
&quot;Great. We&#39;d love to invite you for dinner, but you can only smell the food,&quot; he added sardonically. 
 
(AFP)

'IOC performed a "hospital pass" on Sunday in asking sports federations to decide who from the Russian team could compete in Rio'

Four-time Olympic rowing champion Matthew Pinsent led a cacophony of British condemnation of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision not to ban the whole Russian team from next month's Rio Olympics. There would have been little place for the IOC or its president Thomas Bach to hide with the brickbats they received, the IOC being described as "spineless" and Bach being labelled -- among other things -- "a Pontius Pilate figure". Pinsent said the IOC performed a "hospital pass" on Sunday in asking sports federations to decide who from the Russian team could compete in Rio after the revelations of state-run doping directed from Moscow. "IOC has passed the buck -- pure and simple," wrote the 45-year-old Pinsent in The Times, whilst fellow rowing Olympic legend James Cracknell said the IOC "bottled it". Defending Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford also weighed in. "(The IOC's decision) is a spineless attempt to appear as the nice guy to both sides," the 29-year-old told The Guardian newspaper. Athletics' world governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF), has banned the Russian track and field team from the Rio Games, which start in less than two weeks. "Athletics set the right sentiment for a clean and believable sport," said the outspoken Rutherford, who will defend his crown in Rio. "We're not there, we may never get there -- I am still very unhappy that many convicted cheats continue to compete -- but without a consequence for institutional-level actions how on earth do we expect to make any progress (on drug cheating)?" IOC president dubbed as 'weak leader' Another set to compete in Brazil, oarsman Andrew Triggs Hodge, wrote in The Times he would find it hard to believe that he would be competing against clean athletes. He could go up at the Olympics against three Russians who were part of a team disqualified when one of their number failed a dope test in July. "Thomas Bach, the IOC president, has shown extraordinarily weak leadership," wrote Triggs Hodge. "This was a moment in his career when he could define himself as an anti-doping champion. It needs someone of character, principle and mind to drive the IOC forward and he has completely neglected that." There was widespread sympathy too for Russian whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova, who served a two year-ban for doping and was informed by the IOC on Sunday she would not be allowed to compete at the Games. It was her disclosures about rampant Russian doping that sparked the scandal. "The IOC has thanked her and offered her a trip to watch the Olympics in Rio," wrote Pinsent. "Great. We'd love to invite you for dinner, but you can only smell the food," he added sardonically. (AFP)

Russia escapes Rio ban: British Olympians hit out at IOC

US anti-doping chiefs blasted the International Olympic Committee for creating &quot;a confusing mess&quot; over the Russian doping scandal, claiming they lacked &quot;decisive leadership&quot; by opting against a blanket Rio ban for Russia. 
 
The IOC decided against an all-out ban over state-run doping and left international sports federations with the job of clearing athletes for the Games which start on August 5. 
 
&quot;Disappointingly, in response to the most important moment for clean athletes and the integrity of the Olympic Games, the IOC has refused to take decisive leadership,&quot; said Travis T Tygart, the chief executive of USADA, the American anti-doping body. 
 
&quot;The decision regarding Russian participation and the confusing mess left in its wake is a significant blow to the rights of clean athletes.&quot; 
 
&quot;It is so frustrating that in this incredibly important moment, they would pass the baton to sports federations who may lack the adequate expertise or collective will to appropriately address the situation within the short window prior to the Games. The conflict of interest is glaring.&quot; 
 
USADA also hit out at the decision to ban doping whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova from taking part in the Olympics. 
 
&quot;The decision to refuse her entry in to the Games is incomprehensible and contrary to CAS precedent. The attempt to enforce it will undoubtedly deter whistleblowers in the future from coming forward,&quot; said Tygart. 
 
(AFP)

The US anti-doping body also hit out at the decision to ban doping whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova from taking part in the Olympics

US anti-doping chiefs blasted the International Olympic Committee for creating "a confusing mess" over the Russian doping scandal, claiming they lacked "decisive leadership" by opting against a blanket Rio ban for Russia. The IOC decided against an all-out ban over state-run doping and left international sports federations with the job of clearing athletes for the Games which start on August 5. "Disappointingly, in response to the most important moment for clean athletes and the integrity of the Olympic Games, the IOC has refused to take decisive leadership," said Travis T Tygart, the chief executive of USADA, the American anti-doping body. "The decision regarding Russian participation and the confusing mess left in its wake is a significant blow to the rights of clean athletes." "It is so frustrating that in this incredibly important moment, they would pass the baton to sports federations who may lack the adequate expertise or collective will to appropriately address the situation within the short window prior to the Games. The conflict of interest is glaring." USADA also hit out at the decision to ban doping whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova from taking part in the Olympics. "The decision to refuse her entry in to the Games is incomprehensible and contrary to CAS precedent. The attempt to enforce it will undoubtedly deter whistleblowers in the future from coming forward," said Tygart. (AFP)

US anti-doping CEO: Russia verdict blow to rights of clean athletes

The International Olympic Committee reported 45 new doping failures today from the 2008 Games in Beijing and London 2012, bringing the total number of positive drug test to 98 since a retesting programme was launched. The IOC, facing one of its worst-ever doping crises that could see sporting powerhouse Russia banned from the Rio Games, has reanalysed more than 1,200 samples, with the emphasis on medal winners. 
 
Reporting results from its second wave of retests, the IOC said there were 30 &quot;Provisional Adverse Analytical Findings&quot; from competitors in Beijing 2008 and 15 &quot;Adverse Analytical Findings&quot; among London 2012 Olympians. Within the Beijing group, 23 were medallists, the IOC said. The 30 positive results came from eight countries and four sports. 
 
The second wave of retests from London included 138 samples. The 15 positive tests were from nine countries and two sports. The IOC said it was not able to identify the athletes concerned, citing legal reasons. &quot;The new reanalysis once again shows the commitment of the IOC in the fight against doping,&quot; Olympics president Thomas Bach said in a statement. 
 
The IOC has said the retesting programme followed &quot;intelligence-gathering&quot; that began last year. The new results may pile more pressure on the IOC as it faces making the unprecedented move of banning an entire country from a Games over doping. 
 
Two reports from the World Anti Doping Agency have detailed rampant, state-run drug cheating by Russia, affecting 30 sports. Russia&#39;s track and field team has already been banned from Rio by governing body IAAF.&nbsp; 
 
A dozen global anti-doping agencies and several national Olympic committees have urged the IOC to take exemplary action and rule all Russian competitors ineligible for the Rio Games, which start in two weeks. The IOC said a decision could be made on Sunday. 
 
(AFP)

These results may pile pressure on the IOC to make the unprecedented move of banning an entire country from the 2016 Games for doping

The International Olympic Committee reported 45 new doping failures today from the 2008 Games in Beijing and London 2012, bringing the total number of positive drug test to 98 since a retesting programme was launched. The IOC, facing one of its worst-ever doping crises that could see sporting powerhouse Russia banned from the Rio Games, has reanalysed more than 1,200 samples, with the emphasis on medal winners. Reporting results from its second wave of retests, the IOC said there were 30 "Provisional Adverse Analytical Findings" from competitors in Beijing 2008 and 15 "Adverse Analytical Findings" among London 2012 Olympians. Within the Beijing group, 23 were medallists, the IOC said. The 30 positive results came from eight countries and four sports. The second wave of retests from London included 138 samples. The 15 positive tests were from nine countries and two sports. The IOC said it was not able to identify the athletes concerned, citing legal reasons. "The new reanalysis once again shows the commitment of the IOC in the fight against doping," Olympics president Thomas Bach said in a statement. The IOC has said the retesting programme followed "intelligence-gathering" that began last year. The new results may pile more pressure on the IOC as it faces making the unprecedented move of banning an entire country from a Games over doping. Two reports from the World Anti Doping Agency have detailed rampant, state-run drug cheating by Russia, affecting 30 sports. Russia's track and field team has already been banned from Rio by governing body IAAF. A dozen global anti-doping agencies and several national Olympic committees have urged the IOC to take exemplary action and rule all Russian competitors ineligible for the Rio Games, which start in two weeks. The IOC said a decision could be made on Sunday. (AFP)

IOC finds 45 new doping failures from Beijing, London Games

Russia insisted today that it expects to avoid a blanket ban from the IOC on its competitors at the Rio Olympics despite its track and field squad losing an appeal over a suspension for state-sponsored doping. 
 
&quot;All sportsmen who have not been convicted or are not under suspicion of doping should have the right to compete. That is the decision we are counting on,&quot; Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. 
 
The International Olympic Committee&#39;s executive board are to hold a conference call on Sunday to discuss banning Russia from the Rio Games starting on August 5. 
 
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday ruled against Russia&#39;s athletes in a decision seen as a key indicator as the IOC debates whether to kick out the whole Russian team. 
 
The IOC is facing international pressure to act tough on Russia and ban the entire team over bombshell revelations of a state-run doping system that has seen the country cheat its way to victory. 
 
Fourteen national anti-doping agencies including the United States, Canada and Germany sent a joint letter to IOC President Thomas Bach on Thursday urging him to ban Russia from Rio. 
 
Officials in Moscow have slammed the decision by CAS to reject its appeal against a ban from the world athletics body IAAF, calling it part of a broader political campaign by the West against Russia. 
 
The suspension of the track and field team already means that star athletes like pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva and hurdler Sergey Shubenkov will not be in Rio. 
 
Isinbayeva who has threatened to call time on her career over the ban slammed the CAS ruling as a &quot;funeral for athletics.&quot; 
 
Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko who has clung on despite the scandal said Moscow now hopes the IOC will defer to individual international sporting federations to decide whether other Russian squads can compete. 
 
Cold War 
 
The CAS ruling has been the focus of Olympic attention since an independent WADA report this week said Russia ran a &quot;state-dictated failsafe system&quot; of drug cheating in 30 sports at the 2014 Sochi Games and other major events. 
 
But Russia has found support from some international sports bodies, with the International Judo Federation (IJF) insisting all clean athletes should be allowed to take part in Rio. 
 
&quot;We hope that by allowing participation of Russian athletes in Rio 2016, we will send out a positive message to all the young people who deserve to be given examples of friendship instead of examples of Cold War,&quot; said IJF president Marius Vizer. 
 
Individual Russian federations said they were now looking nervously ahead for the IOC to make its next move. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re all in suspense waiting for the IOC decision,&quot; wrestling federation president Mikhail Mamiashvili told AFP. 
 
&quot;I hope that the common sense and personal responsibility of those who will take the decision will prevail.&quot; 
 
The IAAF banned all of the Russian track and field team over allegations of state-sponsored doping but said athletes who prove they were not tainted by their country&#39;s corrupt system could be cleared. 
 
The IAAF has only gave permission for one Russian team member to compete as a neutral is US-based long jumper Darya Klishina to compete in Rio. 
 
The IOC has appeared to back the principle that international sporting federations could clear individual athletes in case of a blanket ban but with just two weeks to go until Rio time is slipping away. 
 
The Russian press had widely predicted that CAS would decide against Moscow and reaction was a mixture of soul-searching and criticism over systemic failings. 
 
&quot;They accused us of setting up a system in the country based on doping and we didn&#39;t react at all to these accusations,&quot; wrote daily Sovietsky Sport. &quot;That&#39;s why they&#39;re banning us.&quot; 
 
&quot;Alas, everything that is happening with our sports is the fruit of our own errors,&quot; a column in usually pro-Kremlin tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda said, citing years of mismanagement. 
 
&quot;It is far from certain that even the current apocalyptic storm will force us to change our sport. Maybe only if the IOC buries our team on Sunday.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

International Olympic Committee's executive board are to hold a conference call on Sunday to discuss banning Russia from the Rio Games

Russia insisted today that it expects to avoid a blanket ban from the IOC on its competitors at the Rio Olympics despite its track and field squad losing an appeal over a suspension for state-sponsored doping. "All sportsmen who have not been convicted or are not under suspicion of doping should have the right to compete. That is the decision we are counting on," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. The International Olympic Committee's executive board are to hold a conference call on Sunday to discuss banning Russia from the Rio Games starting on August 5. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday ruled against Russia's athletes in a decision seen as a key indicator as the IOC debates whether to kick out the whole Russian team. The IOC is facing international pressure to act tough on Russia and ban the entire team over bombshell revelations of a state-run doping system that has seen the country cheat its way to victory. Fourteen national anti-doping agencies including the United States, Canada and Germany sent a joint letter to IOC President Thomas Bach on Thursday urging him to ban Russia from Rio. Officials in Moscow have slammed the decision by CAS to reject its appeal against a ban from the world athletics body IAAF, calling it part of a broader political campaign by the West against Russia. The suspension of the track and field team already means that star athletes like pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva and hurdler Sergey Shubenkov will not be in Rio. Isinbayeva who has threatened to call time on her career over the ban slammed the CAS ruling as a "funeral for athletics." Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko who has clung on despite the scandal said Moscow now hopes the IOC will defer to individual international sporting federations to decide whether other Russian squads can compete. Cold War The CAS ruling has been the focus of Olympic attention since an independent WADA report this week said Russia ran a "state-dictated failsafe system" of drug cheating in 30 sports at the 2014 Sochi Games and other major events. But Russia has found support from some international sports bodies, with the International Judo Federation (IJF) insisting all clean athletes should be allowed to take part in Rio. "We hope that by allowing participation of Russian athletes in Rio 2016, we will send out a positive message to all the young people who deserve to be given examples of friendship instead of examples of Cold War," said IJF president Marius Vizer. Individual Russian federations said they were now looking nervously ahead for the IOC to make its next move. "We're all in suspense waiting for the IOC decision," wrestling federation president Mikhail Mamiashvili told AFP. "I hope that the common sense and personal responsibility of those who will take the decision will prevail." The IAAF banned all of the Russian track and field team over allegations of state-sponsored doping but said athletes who prove they were not tainted by their country's corrupt system could be cleared. The IAAF has only gave permission for one Russian team member to compete as a neutral is US-based long jumper Darya Klishina to compete in Rio. The IOC has appeared to back the principle that international sporting federations could clear individual athletes in case of a blanket ban but with just two weeks to go until Rio time is slipping away. The Russian press had widely predicted that CAS would decide against Moscow and reaction was a mixture of soul-searching and criticism over systemic failings. "They accused us of setting up a system in the country based on doping and we didn't react at all to these accusations," wrote daily Sovietsky Sport. "That's why they're banning us." "Alas, everything that is happening with our sports is the fruit of our own errors," a column in usually pro-Kremlin tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda said, citing years of mismanagement. "It is far from certain that even the current apocalyptic storm will force us to change our sport. Maybe only if the IOC buries our team on Sunday." (AFP)

Russia braces for IOC ruling after CAS bans athletics squad

Sport&#39;s highest tribunal the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Thursday rejected Russia&#39;s appeal against the exclusion of its track and field athletes from the Olympic Games starting in Rio in 15 days&#39; time. The Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport said in its verdict: &quot;CAS rejects the claims/appeal of the Russian Olympic Committee and 68 Russian athletes.&quot; 
 
The appeal to CAS was launched by the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and 68 Russian athletes who said they were being punished despite not having failed drugs tests, and that they should be eligible to compete in Rio. 
 
The verdict drew swift condemnation from Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: &quot;I certainly regret such a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport which refers to absolutely all of our athletes.&quot; Russia had argued the blanket ban was unfair to individual athletes with no record of doping. &quot;The principle of collective responsibility is hardly acceptable,&quot; Peskov said. Double Olympic champion pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva described the CAS decision as &quot;the funeral of athletics&quot;. 
 
IAAF welcomes CAS verdict&nbsp; 
 
Athletics&#39; governing body the IAAF has welcomed sports court CAS&#39;s rejection of Russia&#39;s doping appeal, declaring Thursday&#39;s ruling &quot;has created a level playing field for athletes&quot;. &quot;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,&quot; the IAAF statement read. 
 
IAAF president Sebastian Coe cautioned that while he welcomed the verdict, &quot;this is not a day for triumphant statements. I didn&rsquo;t come into this sport to stop athletes from competing. It is our federation&rsquo;s instinctive desire to include, not exclude.&quot; 
 
IOC mulls banning Russia entirely from the Rio Games 
 
The decision increases the possibility that the International Olympic Committee will now ban Russia from all sports in Rio, a grave blow to a nation that prides itself on its status as a sporting superpower. The IOC is expected to reach a final decision on Sunday and has said it will take the CAS ruling into account. 
 
Russian track and field athletes were banned from international competition in November after an independent commission set up by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) found rampant state-sponsored doping in Russian athletics. 
 
The ban was imposed by the IAAF, the global governing body for athletics, which reconfirmed it last month, saying there were still considerable problems with anti-doping in Russia. 
 
On Monday, another WADA report revealed evidence of systematic and widespread state-sponsored doping by Russian competitors before and at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. 
 
(Reuters, AFP) 
&nbsp;

Athletics' governing body the IAAF welcomes CAS ruling, says Russia doping ruling creates 'level playing field'

Sport's highest tribunal the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Thursday rejected Russia's appeal against the exclusion of its track and field athletes from the Olympic Games starting in Rio in 15 days' time. The Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport said in its verdict: "CAS rejects the claims/appeal of the Russian Olympic Committee and 68 Russian athletes." The appeal to CAS was launched by the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and 68 Russian athletes who said they were being punished despite not having failed drugs tests, and that they should be eligible to compete in Rio. The verdict drew swift condemnation from Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "I certainly regret such a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport which refers to absolutely all of our athletes." Russia had argued the blanket ban was unfair to individual athletes with no record of doping. "The principle of collective responsibility is hardly acceptable," Peskov said. Double Olympic champion pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva described the CAS decision as "the funeral of athletics". IAAF welcomes CAS verdict Athletics' governing body the IAAF has welcomed sports court CAS's rejection of Russia's doping appeal, declaring Thursday's ruling "has created a level playing field for athletes". "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 IAAF statement read. IAAF president Sebastian Coe cautioned that while he welcomed the verdict, "this is not a day for triumphant statements. I didn’t come into this sport to stop athletes from competing. It is our federation’s instinctive desire to include, not exclude." IOC mulls banning Russia entirely from the Rio Games The decision increases the possibility that the International Olympic Committee will now ban Russia from all sports in Rio, a grave blow to a nation that prides itself on its status as a sporting superpower. The IOC is expected to reach a final decision on Sunday and has said it will take the CAS ruling into account. Russian track and field athletes were banned from international competition in November after an independent commission set up by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) found rampant state-sponsored doping in Russian athletics. The ban was imposed by the IAAF, the global governing body for athletics, which reconfirmed it last month, saying there were still considerable problems with anti-doping in Russia. On Monday, another WADA report revealed evidence of systematic and widespread state-sponsored doping by Russian competitors before and at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. (Reuters, AFP)

CAS bars Russian field athletes from Rio Olympics, draws ire from Moscow

With the Rio Olympics less than three weeks away, the IOC on Monday promised &quot;the toughest sanctions available&quot; after a report found Moscow had concealed hundreds of positive doping tests in many sports ahead of the Sochi winter Games.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) did not spell out whether it would heed growing calls for Olympic bans already imposed on Russia&#39;s track and field athletes and weightlifters to be extended to all its competitors in Rio.

However, IOC President Thomas Bach said the independent World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) investigation had revealed &quot;a shocking and unprecedented attack on the integrity of sport and on the Olympic Games&quot;.

The IOC Executive Board is to hold a telephone conference today&nbsp;to take its first decisions, which may include provisional measures and sanctions with regard to the Rio Olympics.

&quot;Therefore, the IOC will not hesitate to take the toughest sanctions available against any individual or organisation implicated.&quot;

WADA itself explicitly urged the IOC to consider banning Russia from the Rio Olympics altogether.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who staked his reputation on the Sochi Games, the costliest in history, said the WADA-backed report was the result of political interference and that the Olympic movement could now split.

The report confirmed allegations made by Grigory Rodchenkov, former head of the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory.

He told the New York Times two months ago that dozens of Russians had used performance-enhancing drugs in Sochi with the support not only of national sports authorities but even the domestic intelligence service, the FSB.

Monday&#39;s report said Russia, a traditional sporting superpower, had been stung into action by its performance at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, where it finished 11th, with only three gold medals.

&quot;The surprise result of the Sochi investigation was the revelation of the extent of State oversight and directed control of the Moscow Laboratory in processing and covering up urine samples of Russian athletes from virtually all sports before and after the Sochi Games,&quot; said the report, unveiled in Toronto.

&#39;Failsafe strategy&#39;

The investigation was led by Canadian sports lawyer Richard McLaren, who sat on the independent commission that last year exposed doping and corruption in Russian track and field, leading to its exclusion from international competition.

The report said Deputy sports minister Yuri Nagornykh had been advised of every positive test across all sports from 2011 onwards and decided &quot;who would benefit from a cover up and who would not be protected.

&quot;The State implemented a simple failsafe strategy,&quot; it said. &quot;If all the operational precautions to promote and permit doping by Russian athletes proved to have been ineffective for whatever reason, the laboratory provided a failsafe mechanism.

&quot;The State had the ability to transform a positive analytical result into a negative one by ordering that the analytical process of the Moscow Laboratory be altered.&quot;

Among the hundreds of samples that disappeared were 35 from Paralympic athletes.

In Sochi itself, where international observers were scrutinising the drug tests, positive results could not simply be brushed away, so the FSB developed a method of opening urine bottles to allow samples to be swapped undetected.

Rodchenkov spoke of a clandestine night-time operation in which staff secretly took samples from the lab via a &quot;mouse hole&quot; cut into a wall, and replaced them with clean samples taken from the same athlete months earlier and sometimes manipulated.

&#39;Credible witnesses&#39;

McLaren said Rodchenkov and all other witnesses interviewed had been deemed credible, and the report said the investigators &quot;confirm the general veracity of the published information concerning the sample swapping that went on at the Sochi Laboratory during the Sochi Games&quot;.

The investigations showed that caps had been removed from a number of samples, and that they contained unusually high levels of salt, &quot;significantly exceeding the levels produced by the human body&quot;.

Nagornykh and sports minister Vitaly Mutko, who was mentioned 21 times in McLaren&#39;s 97-page report, were not immediately available for comment.

Putin said in a statement that there was &quot;no place for doping in sport&quot;, and that the officials named in the report would be suspended.

Following the statement, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev suspended deputy sports minister Nagornykh.

Putin also said the allegations were based on the testimony of only one man, and were an attempt to &quot;make sport an instrument of geopolitical pressure, to form a negative image of countries and peoples&quot;.

Harking back to the tit-for-tat superpower boycotts of the 1980s, he said: &quot;The Olympic movement ... may again be on the verge of a split.&quot;

In a leaked draft letter intended to be sent to the IOC on Monday, US&nbsp;Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart called for a ban on all Russian athletes, not only in track and field.

Paul Melia, head of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports, said the letter was backed by various athletes&#39; committees and the anti-doping organisations of the United States, Germany, Japan and New Zealand, among others.

However, Russian track and field athletes have appealed against their ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which is due to rule by Thursday.

If it finds in their favour, there would seem to be little chance of a wider ban on Russian competitors holding up.

Bach had indicated last week that he was reluctant to see athletes from one sport punished for the crimes of athletes or officials from another. 
 
(Reuters)

It does not say yet whether it will heed calls to ban all Russian sportsmen and women from the Rio Olympics

With the Rio Olympics less than three weeks away, the IOC on Monday promised "the toughest sanctions available" after a report found Moscow had concealed hundreds of positive doping tests in many sports ahead of the Sochi winter Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) did not spell out whether it would heed growing calls for Olympic bans already imposed on Russia's track and field athletes and weightlifters to be extended to all its competitors in Rio. However, IOC President Thomas Bach said the independent World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) investigation had revealed "a shocking and unprecedented attack on the integrity of sport and on the Olympic Games". The IOC Executive Board is to hold a telephone conference today to take its first decisions, which may include provisional measures and sanctions with regard to the Rio Olympics. "Therefore, the IOC will not hesitate to take the toughest sanctions available against any individual or organisation implicated." WADA itself explicitly urged the IOC to consider banning Russia from the Rio Olympics altogether. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who staked his reputation on the Sochi Games, the costliest in history, said the WADA-backed report was the result of political interference and that the Olympic movement could now split. The report confirmed allegations made by Grigory Rodchenkov, former head of the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory. He told the New York Times two months ago that dozens of Russians had used performance-enhancing drugs in Sochi with the support not only of national sports authorities but even the domestic intelligence service, the FSB. Monday's report said Russia, a traditional sporting superpower, had been stung into action by its performance at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, where it finished 11th, with only three gold medals. "The surprise result of the Sochi investigation was the revelation of the extent of State oversight and directed control of the Moscow Laboratory in processing and covering up urine samples of Russian athletes from virtually all sports before and after the Sochi Games," said the report, unveiled in Toronto. 'Failsafe strategy' The investigation was led by Canadian sports lawyer Richard McLaren, who sat on the independent commission that last year exposed doping and corruption in Russian track and field, leading to its exclusion from international competition. The report said Deputy sports minister Yuri Nagornykh had been advised of every positive test across all sports from 2011 onwards and decided "who would benefit from a cover up and who would not be protected. "The State implemented a simple failsafe strategy," it said. "If all the operational precautions to promote and permit doping by Russian athletes proved to have been ineffective for whatever reason, the laboratory provided a failsafe mechanism. "The State had the ability to transform a positive analytical result into a negative one by ordering that the analytical process of the Moscow Laboratory be altered." Among the hundreds of samples that disappeared were 35 from Paralympic athletes. In Sochi itself, where international observers were scrutinising the drug tests, positive results could not simply be brushed away, so the FSB developed a method of opening urine bottles to allow samples to be swapped undetected. Rodchenkov spoke of a clandestine night-time operation in which staff secretly took samples from the lab via a "mouse hole" cut into a wall, and replaced them with clean samples taken from the same athlete months earlier and sometimes manipulated. 'Credible witnesses' McLaren said Rodchenkov and all other witnesses interviewed had been deemed credible, and the report said the investigators "confirm the general veracity of the published information concerning the sample swapping that went on at the Sochi Laboratory during the Sochi Games". The investigations showed that caps had been removed from a number of samples, and that they contained unusually high levels of salt, "significantly exceeding the levels produced by the human body". Nagornykh and sports minister Vitaly Mutko, who was mentioned 21 times in McLaren's 97-page report, were not immediately available for comment. Putin said in a statement that there was "no place for doping in sport", and that the officials named in the report would be suspended. Following the statement, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev suspended deputy sports minister Nagornykh. Putin also said the allegations were based on the testimony of only one man, and were an attempt to "make sport an instrument of geopolitical pressure, to form a negative image of countries and peoples". Harking back to the tit-for-tat superpower boycotts of the 1980s, he said: "The Olympic movement ... may again be on the verge of a split." In a leaked draft letter intended to be sent to the IOC on Monday, US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart called for a ban on all Russian athletes, not only in track and field. Paul Melia, head of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports, said the letter was backed by various athletes' committees and the anti-doping organisations of the United States, Germany, Japan and New Zealand, among others. However, Russian track and field athletes have appealed against their ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which is due to rule by Thursday. If it finds in their favour, there would seem to be little chance of a wider ban on Russian competitors holding up. Bach had indicated last week that he was reluctant to see athletes from one sport punished for the crimes of athletes or officials from another. (Reuters)

IOC vows 'toughest sanctions' after report corroborates systematic doping, cover-up by Moscow

Russian doping whistleblower Yulia Stepanova&#39;s application to compete as an individual athlete has been accepted, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) said today. 
 
The former drugs cheat&#39;s revelations helped to expose the massive doping problem in her country and the middle-distance runner left Russia and went into hiding after disclosing the issue. 
 
Stepanova could now make a comeback as soon as July 6 in the 800m after European Athletics approved her participation at the continental championships in Amsterdam. 
 
The IAAF said its doping review board unanimously accepted Stepanova&#39;s application and that they had received more than 80 formal requests from Russian athletes seeking exceptional eligibility to compete in an individual capacity. 
 
&quot;Stepanova is now eligible to compete in international competitions as an independent neutral athlete,&quot; the IAAF said in a statement. 
 
European Athletics reiterated the IAAF&#39;s views and said it recognised Stepanova&#39;s &quot;exceptional contribution to the protection and promotion of clean athletes&quot; and cleared her to compete in Amsterdam next week. 
 
&quot;If Stepanova takes her place in Amsterdam, she will compete under the European Athletics flag and is scheduled to compete in the first round of the women&#39;s 800m on Wednesday 6 July,&quot; European Athletics said in a statement. 
 
It was still unclear, however, if the middle distance runner would now be eligible to compete at the Rio Olympics, with the IAAF saying it was up to organisers to decide. 
 
&quot;Ms Stepanova&#39;s participation as a neutral athlete in international competition is still subject to acceptance by the organiser of the competition in question, in accordance with the rules of that competition,&quot; the IAAF said. 
 
Russian track and field athletes are suspended from competing anywhere after a series of reports, triggered by Stepanova&#39;s revelations, painted a picture of systematic doping in the country and led to the launch of several investigations. 
 
The IAAF has said only some Russian track and field athletes fulfilling exceptional criteria, including repeated drugs testing outside Russia, can take part in the Rio Games under a neutral flag. 
 
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), however, insists any Russian track and field athlete cleared to compete in the Games starting on Aug. 5 would do so under the country&#39;s flag, appeasing Moscow in the run-up to the Rio Games. 
 
More than 65 Russian athletes have since filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, saying they should not be punished along with drugs cheats. 
 
Earlier this month, the IOC said while it was the international federation that was in charge of determining eligibility, it was the Olympic committee of each country that called up the team, overruling the IAAF over the flag issue. 
 
(Reuters)

Stepanova's revelations exposed massive doping in the country, leading to suspension of several Russian athletes

Russian doping whistleblower Yulia Stepanova's application to compete as an individual athlete has been accepted, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) said today. The former drugs cheat's revelations helped to expose the massive doping problem in her country and the middle-distance runner left Russia and went into hiding after disclosing the issue. Stepanova could now make a comeback as soon as July 6 in the 800m after European Athletics approved her participation at the continental championships in Amsterdam. The IAAF said its doping review board unanimously accepted Stepanova's application and that they had received more than 80 formal requests from Russian athletes seeking exceptional eligibility to compete in an individual capacity. "Stepanova is now eligible to compete in international competitions as an independent neutral athlete," the IAAF said in a statement. European Athletics reiterated the IAAF's views and said it recognised Stepanova's "exceptional contribution to the protection and promotion of clean athletes" and cleared her to compete in Amsterdam next week. "If Stepanova takes her place in Amsterdam, she will compete under the European Athletics flag and is scheduled to compete in the first round of the women's 800m on Wednesday 6 July," European Athletics said in a statement. It was still unclear, however, if the middle distance runner would now be eligible to compete at the Rio Olympics, with the IAAF saying it was up to organisers to decide. "Ms Stepanova's participation as a neutral athlete in international competition is still subject to acceptance by the organiser of the competition in question, in accordance with the rules of that competition," the IAAF said. Russian track and field athletes are suspended from competing anywhere after a series of reports, triggered by Stepanova's revelations, painted a picture of systematic doping in the country and led to the launch of several investigations. The IAAF has said only some Russian track and field athletes fulfilling exceptional criteria, including repeated drugs testing outside Russia, can take part in the Rio Games under a neutral flag. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), however, insists any Russian track and field athlete cleared to compete in the Games starting on Aug. 5 would do so under the country's flag, appeasing Moscow in the run-up to the Rio Games. More than 65 Russian athletes have since filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, saying they should not be punished along with drugs cheats. Earlier this month, the IOC said while it was the international federation that was in charge of determining eligibility, it was the Olympic committee of each country that called up the team, overruling the IAAF over the flag issue. (Reuters)

IAAF: Russian doping whistleblower Stepanova eligible to compete as independent neutral in Rio

Kuwait has filed suit in a Swiss court seeking $1 billion in damages from the International Olympic Committee over its suspension from competition, its youth and information minister said. 
 
The IOC and world football governing body FIFA suspended Kuwait in October over laws that allow government interference in sports. 
 
Sheikh Salman al-Humoud Al-Sabah said that the suspension, which threatens to exclude Kuwaiti athletes from the Olympics in Rio in August, was &quot;unjustifiable&quot; and imposed without proper investigation. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s totally unacceptable that Kuwait is treated in this unfair way and barred from international sports activities without any appropriate probe being conducted,&quot; the official KUNA news agency quoted the minister as saying late on Wednesday. 
 
The minister did not give further details of the lawsuit but the IOC is headquartered in the Swiss city of Lausanne. 
 
Apart from the IOC and FIFA, 16 other international sporting federations have also blacklisted Kuwait. 
 
In January, the Kuwaiti government filed suit in a domestic court seeking damages of $1.3 billion from 15 Kuwaiti sports officials it alleged had actively sought the suspensions. 
 
They included Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, who heads the Olympic Council of Asia and is a top IOC official as well as a member of the FIFA executive committee. 
 
The youth minister renewed those allegations on Wednesday, charging that officials who were supposed to represent Kuwait had been &quot;happy&quot; about the country&#39;s suspension. 
 
The Kuwaiti parliament approved sweeping changes to sports laws on Monday but MPs said the amendments did not go far enough to end the country&#39;s suspension. 
 
It is the third time since 2007 that FIFA and the IOC have suspended Kuwait for alleged government interference. 
 
(AFP)

It is the third time since 2007 that FIFA and the IOC have suspended Kuwait for alleged government interference

Kuwait has filed suit in a Swiss court seeking $1 billion in damages from the International Olympic Committee over its suspension from competition, its youth and information minister said. The IOC and world football governing body FIFA suspended Kuwait in October over laws that allow government interference in sports. Sheikh Salman al-Humoud Al-Sabah said that the suspension, which threatens to exclude Kuwaiti athletes from the Olympics in Rio in August, was "unjustifiable" and imposed without proper investigation. "It's totally unacceptable that Kuwait is treated in this unfair way and barred from international sports activities without any appropriate probe being conducted," the official KUNA news agency quoted the minister as saying late on Wednesday. The minister did not give further details of the lawsuit but the IOC is headquartered in the Swiss city of Lausanne. Apart from the IOC and FIFA, 16 other international sporting federations have also blacklisted Kuwait. In January, the Kuwaiti government filed suit in a domestic court seeking damages of $1.3 billion from 15 Kuwaiti sports officials it alleged had actively sought the suspensions. They included Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, who heads the Olympic Council of Asia and is a top IOC official as well as a member of the FIFA executive committee. The youth minister renewed those allegations on Wednesday, charging that officials who were supposed to represent Kuwait had been "happy" about the country's suspension. The Kuwaiti parliament approved sweeping changes to sports laws on Monday but MPs said the amendments did not go far enough to end the country's suspension. It is the third time since 2007 that FIFA and the IOC have suspended Kuwait for alleged government interference. (AFP)

Olympics: Suspended Kuwait seeks $1 billion in damages from IOC

World athletics federation IAAF has&nbsp;come closer to destroying sport in Russia than helping it develop by suspending the country&#39;s track and field team over doping offences, the Russian sport minister said. 
 
First imposed in November, the IAAF ban was extended on Friday and supported by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Saturday. 
 
&quot;I have written an open letter to (the IAAF)... If you are an organisation whose aim is to develop athletics then you have done everything to destroy it,&quot; Vitaly Mutko told Reuters in an interview. 
 
Russian track and field athletes had not participated in international competitions in January. 
 
&quot;I, on behalf of the state, cannot finance the country&#39;s national team. That means all this is falling apart. Next, I cannot finance the training centre, all these are closing down. The young athletes do not have any motivation,&quot; Mutko said. 
 
Individual Russian track and field athletes assessed as clean will be able to compete for their country in Brazil, IOC President Thomas Bach said on Tuesday, diluting the IAAF&#39;s ban. 
 
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach also said all competitors from both Russia and Kenya would, given their countries&#39; recent history of doping, have to be screened individually before being allowed to participate in the Games. 
 
He did not elaborate on what the evaluation would include. 
 
The Russian track and field team remains suspended from Rio de Janeiro after the IOC supported the ban, for systemic doping, which world athletics federation IAAF had extended on Friday. 
 
But Bach, speaking at the end of a summit on doping, offered a limited number of Russian athletes the chance to race under their flag. 
 
In a decision welcomed by the sports ministry in Moscow, he said those cleared by the IAAF or the Court of Arbitration for Sport as clean and eligible would be able to compete in Brazil. 
 
The unsatisfactory record of anti-doping bodies in Russia, as well as Kenya, had put &quot;very serious doubts on the presumption of innocence&quot; of their athletes, Bach said. 
 
But they had the right of appeal and &quot;if there are (Russian) athletes qualified then they will compete as members of the Russian Olympic Committee team,&quot; he told reporters. 
 
The IAAF had said on Friday that any Russian athlete would have to compete under a neutral flag, a recommendation it reiterated on Tuesday following Bach&#39;s comments. 
 
&quot;This decision has been unequivocally supported across sport and the IOC Summit today unanimously agreed to fully respect the IAAF decision,&quot; the federation said in a statement. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

However, Russia's sports minister has said that the suspensions are destroying sport in the country

World athletics federation IAAF has come closer to destroying sport in Russia than helping it develop by suspending the country's track and field team over doping offences, the Russian sport minister said. First imposed in November, the IAAF ban was extended on Friday and supported by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Saturday. "I have written an open letter to (the IAAF)... If you are an organisation whose aim is to develop athletics then you have done everything to destroy it," Vitaly Mutko told Reuters in an interview. Russian track and field athletes had not participated in international competitions in January. "I, on behalf of the state, cannot finance the country's national team. That means all this is falling apart. Next, I cannot finance the training centre, all these are closing down. The young athletes do not have any motivation," Mutko said. Individual Russian track and field athletes assessed as clean will be able to compete for their country in Brazil, IOC President Thomas Bach said on Tuesday, diluting the IAAF's ban. International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach also said all competitors from both Russia and Kenya would, given their countries' recent history of doping, have to be screened individually before being allowed to participate in the Games. He did not elaborate on what the evaluation would include. The Russian track and field team remains suspended from Rio de Janeiro after the IOC supported the ban, for systemic doping, which world athletics federation IAAF had extended on Friday. But Bach, speaking at the end of a summit on doping, offered a limited number of Russian athletes the chance to race under their flag. In a decision welcomed by the sports ministry in Moscow, he said those cleared by the IAAF or the Court of Arbitration for Sport as clean and eligible would be able to compete in Brazil. The unsatisfactory record of anti-doping bodies in Russia, as well as Kenya, had put "very serious doubts on the presumption of innocence" of their athletes, Bach said. But they had the right of appeal and "if there are (Russian) athletes qualified then they will compete as members of the Russian Olympic Committee team," he told reporters. The IAAF had said on Friday that any Russian athlete would have to compete under a neutral flag, a recommendation it reiterated on Tuesday following Bach's comments. "This decision has been unequivocally supported across sport and the IOC Summit today unanimously agreed to fully respect the IAAF decision," the federation said in a statement. (Reuters)

IOC offers Rio lifeline to Russian track and field athletes

The International Olympic Committee vice-president John Coates said on Saturday the committee is unlikely to overturn world athletics&#39; ban on the Russian track and field team at the Rio de Janeiro Games. 
 
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) on Friday nanimously upheld its ban on Russian athletes competing at international competitions due to state-sponsored doping. 
 
Russia has cried foul over the ban and President Vladimir Putin said he hoped for an &quot;appropriate response&quot; from the IOC. 
 
Coates, also president of the Australian Olympic Committee, said he would be &quot;very surprised&quot; if the IOC tried to overturn the ban at a summit on Tuesday, in Lausanne, where the Olympic body is due to discuss the matter. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s an international federation&#39;s right to suspend a national federation and I don&#39;t think we would overturn that at all, I&#39;d be very surprised,&quot; Coates told reporters in Melbourne. 
 
IAAF president Sebastian Coe said on Friday his governing body had the last word on athletes&#39; eligibility to compete at international events. 
 
Also talking was Jared Tallent, who won silver in the 50km walk at the 2012 London Olympic Games, but has now been boosted to the gold medal. The first man across the line in 2012, Russia&#39;s Sergey Kirdyapkin, received a ban for doping by the Russian anti-doping agency which excluded his 2012 gold medal, and would have allowed him to defend his title in Rio. 
 
In March the IAAF instructed the IOC to strip him of his gold medal and, as a Russian, he will not be at Rio. 
 
On Friday Tallent received his 2012 gold medal from John Coates at a ceremony in Melbourne. Tallent said the extension of the ban was important for his sport in Rio. 
 
&quot;It will change the way the races, in my event particularly, are raced. Athletes will now, who probably thought they&#39;d never had a chance before to win a medal, will now believe they&#39;ve got a chance to win a medal. It&#39;s a very positive day for the event. I&#39;m now very much looking forward to racing in Rio with other clean athletes and seeing who&#39;s the best out of those guys,&quot; Tallent told reporters. 
 
Australian 2016 Olympic team Chef De Mission Kitty Chiller welcomed the decision too but indicated there is still work to do by the IAAF and IOC. 
 
&quot;The steps that have been taken by the IAAF in this instance, by the IOC, to continue absolute zero tolerance to doping is good, it&#39;s a positive step. Is it going to be 100 percent clean in Rio? No, it&#39;s not going to be but at least steps are being taken now, the retesting of samples. Everything is moving in the right direction,&quot; Chiller said. 
(Reuters)

IAAF has the last word on athletes' eligibility to compete at international events, federation president Sebastian Coe said

The International Olympic Committee vice-president John Coates said on Saturday the committee is unlikely to overturn world athletics' ban on the Russian track and field team at the Rio de Janeiro Games. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) on Friday nanimously upheld its ban on Russian athletes competing at international competitions due to state-sponsored doping. Russia has cried foul over the ban and President Vladimir Putin said he hoped for an "appropriate response" from the IOC. Coates, also president of the Australian Olympic Committee, said he would be "very surprised" if the IOC tried to overturn the ban at a summit on Tuesday, in Lausanne, where the Olympic body is due to discuss the matter. "It's an international federation's right to suspend a national federation and I don't think we would overturn that at all, I'd be very surprised," Coates told reporters in Melbourne. IAAF president Sebastian Coe said on Friday his governing body had the last word on athletes' eligibility to compete at international events. Also talking was Jared Tallent, who won silver in the 50km walk at the 2012 London Olympic Games, but has now been boosted to the gold medal. The first man across the line in 2012, Russia's Sergey Kirdyapkin, received a ban for doping by the Russian anti-doping agency which excluded his 2012 gold medal, and would have allowed him to defend his title in Rio. In March the IAAF instructed the IOC to strip him of his gold medal and, as a Russian, he will not be at Rio. On Friday Tallent received his 2012 gold medal from John Coates at a ceremony in Melbourne. Tallent said the extension of the ban was important for his sport in Rio. "It will change the way the races, in my event particularly, are raced. Athletes will now, who probably thought they'd never had a chance before to win a medal, will now believe they've got a chance to win a medal. It's a very positive day for the event. I'm now very much looking forward to racing in Rio with other clean athletes and seeing who's the best out of those guys," Tallent told reporters. Australian 2016 Olympic team Chef De Mission Kitty Chiller welcomed the decision too but indicated there is still work to do by the IAAF and IOC. "The steps that have been taken by the IAAF in this instance, by the IOC, to continue absolute zero tolerance to doping is good, it's a positive step. Is it going to be 100 percent clean in Rio? No, it's not going to be but at least steps are being taken now, the retesting of samples. Everything is moving in the right direction," Chiller said. (Reuters)

IOC vice-president says interference with IAAF ban is unlikely

The &#39;B&#39; samples of two Russian women&#39;s weightlifting medalists from the 2008 Beijing Olympics have come back positive for steroids, Russian state news agency Tass reported yesterday.
Marina Shainova who won silver in the 58-kilogram class and Nadezhda Evstyukhina, bronze medalist in the 75-kg division, were among 10 Russian medalists from Beijing who reportedly tested positive last month in International Olympic Committee (IOC) reanalysis of their stored samples.

Shainova&#39;s coach, Vladimir Shainov, told Tass that the two lifters have now also tested positive for turinabol in their &quot;B&quot; samples.

&quot;The document about a further decision has not come yet, but now of course, they will take away the medal and disqualify. Evstyukhina is in the same situation,&quot; he said.

Once a &quot;B&quot; sample confirms the original positive finding, the IOC can open a formal doping case. The two could be stripped of their medals. Other Russian medalists from the Beijing Games who were reported to have failed retests last month included bronze medalist Anna Chicherova, who won the high jump gold at the London 2012 Games and Yulia Chermoshanskaya who won gold in the 4x100-meter relay.
The IOC stores Olympic doping samples for 10 years, so that it can reanalyze them when new testing methods become available.

Document about a further decision is yet to come, but medals will be taken away from Marina Shainova and Nadezhda Evstyukhina

The 'B' samples of two Russian women's weightlifting medalists from the 2008 Beijing Olympics have come back positive for steroids, Russian state news agency Tass reported yesterday. Marina Shainova who won silver in the 58-kilogram class and Nadezhda Evstyukhina, bronze medalist in the 75-kg division, were among 10 Russian medalists from Beijing who reportedly tested positive last month in International Olympic Committee (IOC) reanalysis of their stored samples. Shainova's coach, Vladimir Shainov, told Tass that the two lifters have now also tested positive for turinabol in their "B" samples. "The document about a further decision has not come yet, but now of course, they will take away the medal and disqualify. Evstyukhina is in the same situation," he said. Once a "B" sample confirms the original positive finding, the IOC can open a formal doping case. The two could be stripped of their medals. Other Russian medalists from the Beijing Games who were reported to have failed retests last month included bronze medalist Anna Chicherova, who won the high jump gold at the London 2012 Games and Yulia Chermoshanskaya who won gold in the 4x100-meter relay. The IOC stores Olympic doping samples for 10 years, so that it can reanalyze them when new testing methods become available.

Two Russian Olympic weightlifting medalists fail doping tests

Organisers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics were taken by surprise by the International Olympic Committee&#39;s (IOC) decision to approve a Japanese proposal and recommend the inclusion of five sports in four years&#39; time, Games chief Yoshiro Mori said today. 
 
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with the IOC to monitor progress, Mori also said the Olympic body had no questions over a payment during its successful bid to host the 2020 Games that had triggered an investigation back home. 
 
On Wednesday the IOC approved Tokyo&#39;s proposal for five more sports, with baseball/softball, skateboarding, surfing, climbing and karate to feature at the Games in 2020. 
 
The IOC must now rubber-stamp the decision at its session in Rio de Janeiro in August. 
 
&quot;We planned to make the presentation (for the new sports)... but the IOC took the decision when I was up in the clouds travelling from Tokyo,&quot; Mori told reporters. 
 
&quot;I felt like a heavenly feeling. I felt like up in the clouds because it is a package approval.&quot; 
 
As part of sweeping reforms initiated in 2014, Olympic hosts can bring in sports popular in their countries to boost ratings and attract greater sponsorship as well as a younger generation of fans. 
 
Mori said organisers now would start work on pinning down venues and would present progress reports during the IOC session in Rio. 
 
&quot;We will have to consult with the stakeholders,&quot; Mori said. &quot;We will have to bring something as a result of the work. We have to prepare.&quot; 
 
He said potential venues for all five sports had already been identified and presented to the IOC. 
 
&quot;We have looked into various candidate sites and IOC experts have seen them. They have scored the various candidate sites.&quot; 
 
Mori said the IOC did not ask questions regarding payments of more than $2.0 million to a Singapore bank account during the bidding process in 2012-13. 
 
&quot;Not at all,&quot; he responded when asked whether the issue was raised by the IOC Executive Board. 
 
The account was controlled by a friend of Papa Massata Diack, son of disgraced former international athletics chief president Lamine Diack. 
 
Tsunekazu Takeda, leader of the group that won Tokyo the Summer Games, has said the payments were legitimate consultancy fees, checked by auditors. 
 
French authorities are investigating Diack senior for alleged corruption, and the Japanese Olympic committee (JOC) has launched its own investigation into the 2020 bid process. 
 
The IOC said last week it saw no reason to doubt assurances from Tokyo about the legitimacy of payments.

The International Olympics committee left organisers of Tokyo Olympics 2020 surprised as they approved the recommendation to include new sports

Organisers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics were taken by surprise by the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision to approve a Japanese proposal and recommend the inclusion of five sports in four years' time, Games chief Yoshiro Mori said today. Speaking to reporters after a meeting with the IOC to monitor progress, Mori also said the Olympic body had no questions over a payment during its successful bid to host the 2020 Games that had triggered an investigation back home. On Wednesday the IOC approved Tokyo's proposal for five more sports, with baseball/softball, skateboarding, surfing, climbing and karate to feature at the Games in 2020. The IOC must now rubber-stamp the decision at its session in Rio de Janeiro in August. "We planned to make the presentation (for the new sports)... but the IOC took the decision when I was up in the clouds travelling from Tokyo," Mori told reporters. "I felt like a heavenly feeling. I felt like up in the clouds because it is a package approval." As part of sweeping reforms initiated in 2014, Olympic hosts can bring in sports popular in their countries to boost ratings and attract greater sponsorship as well as a younger generation of fans. Mori said organisers now would start work on pinning down venues and would present progress reports during the IOC session in Rio. "We will have to consult with the stakeholders," Mori said. "We will have to bring something as a result of the work. We have to prepare." He said potential venues for all five sports had already been identified and presented to the IOC. "We have looked into various candidate sites and IOC experts have seen them. They have scored the various candidate sites." Mori said the IOC did not ask questions regarding payments of more than $2.0 million to a Singapore bank account during the bidding process in 2012-13. "Not at all," he responded when asked whether the issue was raised by the IOC Executive Board. The account was controlled by a friend of Papa Massata Diack, son of disgraced former international athletics chief president Lamine Diack. Tsunekazu Takeda, leader of the group that won Tokyo the Summer Games, has said the payments were legitimate consultancy fees, checked by auditors. French authorities are investigating Diack senior for alleged corruption, and the Japanese Olympic committee (JOC) has launched its own investigation into the 2020 bid process. The IOC said last week it saw no reason to doubt assurances from Tokyo about the legitimacy of payments.

5 new sports included in Tokyo Olympics 2020

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