Russian canoeists, including Olympic champ, get Rio bans

“Tomorrow or the day after is the time when finally we will be able to talk about the composition represented at the Olympic Games. I am ashamed of Thomas Bach”, Harting, who has always been a critic of Bach, told SID, an AFP subsidiary.

WADA came under-fire for its alleged inaction concerning allegations of state-sponsored doping in Russian Federation, dramatically uncovered by reports by their Independent Commission and Richard McLaren.

IOC Decision, point 4.

“Many, including clean athletes and whistleblowers, have demonstrated courage and strength in confronting a culture of state-supported doping and corruption within Russian Federation”.

“It certainly undermines the confidence that the Olympics is an event in which all contributors, all participants are dedicated to the values of fair play and honest sport”, says Kidd. “I wish them to endure all of this with dignity and respect for opponents, as athletes from other countries are not to blame for such a situation with the Russian team”.

IOC chiefs had been under fierce pressure to hit Russian Federation with total ban for Rio over doping, which would have been a first in Olympic history.

“She insisted on serving the full ban, as she accepted responsibility for her actions despite the fact that as an athlete in a state-sponsored doping system, she had little choice but to comply”. The IOC said it took this into account when deciding to ban her from Rio.

“The ISSF confirms having received from WADA details about the three samples concerning shooting sport mentioned in the McLaren Report”, the statement said.

The commission also noted that while Stepanova had “made a contribution” to anti-doping efforts that as an admitted cheater she doesn’t “satisfy the ethical requirements for an athlete to enter the Olympic Games”. “This is about doing justice to clean athletes all over the world”.

Gaeb branded the IOC’s decision not to allow Stepanova to run in Rio as a “shameless act and a unique tribute to power politics”.

But the three other athletes named in Russia’s squad would be allowed to compete, it added.

London 2012 gold medalist Alexander Dyachenko was among Russian canoeists to banned from competing in the Games on Tuesday due to the doping crisis. “Only those who really did doping should be banned from the Olympics”, the wrestler stressed. Zhukov noted that he did not agree with the IOC’s ruling.

The World Archery Federation has cleared Russian archers for participation in the Rio Olympics, national team Chief Coach Vladimir Yesheyev told TASS on July 25. The IOC said the federations have the authority, under their own rules, to exclude Russian teams as a whole.

Stepanova was sanctioned for doping in 2013 and has always claimed she was trapped in a Russian system and had no choice but to comply.

The criteria are “very tough, but that’s a kind of challenge for our team”. “But today’s Monday. We feel we’re trying to fight for the right thing, so we wake up and start fighting again”. Any missed test by an athlete would result in a loss of accreditation by the IOC.

“I would like to thank BWF President Poul-Erik Hoyer and Secretary-General Thomas Lund for a fair solution and for the help they are giving to us at this hard moment”, Andrei Antropov, the president of the National Badminton Federation of Russia, said.

Russia’s track and field team is nearly entirely banned from the games under an earlier decision from the IAAF, leaving long jumper Darya Klishina as the only athlete eligible to represent Russian Federation out of 68 who were entered.

Russian Federation has admitted some doping violations by its athletes and coaches but denies that the government was involved.

WADA had suggested that Russian Federation be banned until a “culture change” was achieved.

A Russian whistleblower, who helped uncover the biggest doping scandal in decades, has said that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is more concerned about protecting the organisation than ridding world sport of drugs cheats.