Russian swimmers file appeals against Olympic ban

“Finally, the EB chose to delegate the final decision on acceptance of entries of Russian athletes to a review panel of the EB composed of three International Olympic Committee executive members, Ugur Erdener, who is the chair of the medical commission, Claudia Bokel, who is chair of the athletes commission, and Juan Antonio Samaranch”, Adams told reporters.

The panel will examine every case in which a Russian has been cleared to play through a process that includes the worldwide federation governing his or her sport and an global arbitrator.

The president of Russia’s Olympic Committee Aleksandr Zhukov confirmed on Friday that at least 270 Russian athletes have been given the green light to participate in the competition, which start on August 5.

The criteria states that only if they have not previously failed a drugs test and can prove they are clean and not associated with the country’s doping regime are Russian athletes eligible to take part in the Games.

The panel will have to make its ruling before the opening ceremony, just six days away.

“Clearly we’re working on a very tight deadline”, Adams said.

“This panel will decide whether to accept or reject that final proposal” by CAS, Adams said.

“Yes, they have indeed filed lawsuits at the CAS”, Artyom Patsev said.

The IOC executive board decided last Sunday not to ban the entire Russian Olympic team from the games. Russia’s eight-member weightlifting team was kicked out of the games on Friday for what the worldwide federation called “extremely shocking” doping results that brought the sport into “disrepute”.

Bach has defended the decision as one that protects individual athletes who have not been implicated in doping.