IAAF’s Russian athletes ban draws dissent from Moscow

World Today

Russia’s track and field athletes seem unlikely to compete at the 2016 Olympic Games after the IAAF upheld the competition ban on Russian doping athletes.

The ban is drawing sharp reaction from Moscow.

CCTV’s Lorna Shaddick reports from Moscow. Follow Lorna Shaddick on Twitter @lornashaddick

Russian President Vladmir Putin said he wants the IOC to intervene and Russian Sports Ministry said it is extremely disappointed by the IAAF’s decision. Some athletes have even threatened to sue.

Anastasiya Kapachinskaya is one of the athletes who won’t be attending Rio Olympics. Winner of two Olympic silver medals, Kapachinskaya doesn’t think that this decision is going to have a good effect on all of Russian sports.

The IAAF did though open the door for individual Russian athletes to compete under a neutral flag, if they can prove they are clean.

However, when it comes to national pride, there’s little appetite for Russian athletes to compete under a neutral flag.

Many are hoping the International Olympic Committee may yet mitigate, or even overturn, the IAAF decision.


Norman O’Reilly discusses IAAF’s ban on Russian track athletes

For more on IAAF’s decision, CCTV’s Mike Walter spoke to Norman O’Reilly, a Richard P. and Joan S. Professor of Business and Chair of the Department of Sports Administration at Ohio University’s College of Business. He shared his take on the impact of the IAAF report and its influence on Rio Olympics as well as Russia’s stance.