Bach: Russian Federation has a way forward

“We have confidence in the Brazilian authorities and in the worldwide cooperation of their security agencies”, Bach said.

The 24-1 vote was taken by teleconference.

More damaging revelations emerged at the weekend when a member of Coe’s 27-strong council, David Okeyo, was declared to be the subject of a police inquiry in his native Kenya over allegations he siphoned off funds from a sponsorship deal between the national association and the sportswear firm Nike.

“We send a clear message to clean athletes in a dirty system to report any doping or cheating that they see or hear about”.

But former Namibian sprinter Frankie Fredericks, speaking on behalf of the IAAF Athletes Commission, said the commission was “angry at the damage being caused to the reputation and credibility of athletics and are united alongside our president to not shy away from the major challenges that face our sport”. A special commission still has to get to the bottom of everything.

Mutko tells The Associated Press in a telephone interview that “our reaction is calm”.

The main athletics events in 2016 are the world Indoor Championships, the European athletics championships and the Olympics. He said that both the IOC president, Thomas Bach, and the heads of worldwide federations were pushing for the latter.

Asked if Russia would be able to make the required changes in time to return for the Olympics, Coe said: “It is entirely up to the Russian federation”.

The action by IAAF, the global sports federation that rules over track and field, followed an explosive report that detailed widespread doping in Russian athletics.

The vote was 22-1.

Russian athletics chiefs can use the precedent of rowing before the 2008 Beijing Olympics when Russia were suspended for a year for doping violations.

Balakhnichev was deemed “ultimately responsible” for doping and cover-ups in Monday’s damning report by a World Anti-Doping Agency commission while Zelichenok “refused to cooperate” with the independent investigation.

“Our athletes are concerned, particularly the elite athletes, because they feel they are being tarnished with the same brush as those who tested positive”, said Colm O’Connell, who coaches Kenya’s 800m Olympic champion David Rudisha. “They have to act swiftly because this concerns the credibility of all the efforts”.

By banning Russia’s track athletes, it would only make officials double-down in the sports where they haven’t been caught.

Following a meeting of IAAF executives on Friday night, Russian Federation was overwhelmingly cast out of athletics in concurrence with the findings of a report conducted by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

“It was a disaster”, said Mike Boit, victor of an 800m bronze in the 1972 Olympics.

Isinbayeva says “all my victories are honest, “clean” and deserved”. “I always had confidence in him and I have confidence in him”.

The most visible lobbyist is Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, a longtime ally of President Vladimir Putin.

Bach also met Thursday evening in Switzerland with Russian Olympic Committee president Alexander Zhukov, who has strong political connections in Russia.

The suspension only applies to Russia’s track and field athletes.

“I can agree with everything but the suspension of athletes, it is an extreme measure and senseless”, Mutko told the R-Sport news agency.