IOC keeps ban on Russia’s track and weights before Rio Games

World Today

IOC keep ban on Russia's track and weights before Rio Games

At least 271 sportsmen and women will represent Russia at the Rio Olympic Games. The IOC Review Panel announced the participation list for Russian athletes at the Games ahead of the opening ceremony on Friday. However, these numbers could grow after a sports tribunal ruled in favor of some banned Russian athletes.

CCTV’s Julia Lyubova reports. Follow Julia Lyubova on Twitter @julialyubova

Russian sportspeople will be at the Olympic Games in Rio in numbers, after escaping a blanket ban. The International Olympic Committee review panel’s final decision is being welcomed by Russian officials.

“We have good news for supporters of the Russian team. I want to tell you that our teams will take part in a majority of the sports at the Olympic Games with full participation,” Alexander Zhukov, the head of Russia’s Olympic Committee said.

Russia’s depleted team comprises of 70 percent of the 387 originally named for the Games. Its track-and-field athletes and weightlifters are banned over doping offences.

The entire Russian team avoided a complete ban over allegations that its government and security services covered up widespread doping. The IOC instead it left it up to individual sporting federations to clear Russian competitors if they met a set of criteria, including a clean doping past and sufficient tests at international events.

This meant that several Russian sportspeople with previous doping implications were left out. Some of them appealed with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. 

In the cases of swimming world champion Yulia Efimova, as well as two rowers, the tribunal ruled that an Olympic ban was unenforceable. This could add to a total of Russian participants. 

The IOC’s decision is going down well in Russia.

Russia had promised to reform its anti-doping system. It has set up an independent commission which will include foreign anti-doping experts. The commission will start its work after the Games in Rio.


Mike Bako on opening ceremony for Rio Olympic

For more about opening ceremony for Rio Olympic, CCTV America’s Asieh Namdar interviewed Mike Bako, Sports editor of Daily National.


Dong Jun on China’s hope of Rio Olympics

For more about China’s hope of Rio Olympics, CCTV America’s Mike Walter interviewed Dong Jun, the 2008 Beijing Olympic Official Commentator.