IOC to ‘explore’ banning Russia from Rio Games



LAUSANNE: -- The International Olympic Committee has delayed a decision on whether to ban Russia from next month’s Rio Games over accusations of doping.

The IOC said on Tuesday it will explore its legal options and wait for a ruling, due Thursday, by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) concerning Russia’s track and field athletes, already banned from the Rio Games.

The IOC did however take a series of interim measures.

It said the Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko will not be allowed to attend the Rio Games, along with other officials said to be involved in a state-run doping programme.

The IOC also said it will not organise or back any sports event in Russia, including the European Games scheduled for 2019.

Last but not least, it plans to re-test all Russians who competed at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

The Mc Laren report published this week detailed widespread doping among Russian sportsmen and women that was covered up at the highest level.

It laid out how athletes’ urine samples were swapped with clean ones, particularly during the Sochi Games, in Russia.

Moscow denies such a doping scheme existed, but it has suspended several senior sports officials mentioned in the report.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-07-20

If they don't get a ban it would be unfair for dope free competitors should Russia win an event. It could also open up a can of worms with countries complaining if their competitors came second or third

But may be they don't have the b@!!s to ban them?

Off-topic post removed.

Because it was sponsored by the government, a ban is a very viable option. Sad for the clean athletes, but hard to believe they didn't know what was going on. Too widespread.

And not fair to all the athletes who were clean.

I've lost confidence that there are any clean athletes at the top. Seems they reached the natural limits of human achievement some time ago, and only the unnatural is now open to them.

They will bottle it.

Seems like all professional sportsmen are cheating. It's just trendy now to blame Russians in all sins. Seems like all international sports organizations are stockpiling skeletons in their closets. When spring comes and snow melts, all crap will come out.