The decision of International Olympic Committee’s decision not to ban Russia from the Rio Olympics was greeted with relief and jubilation from Russian sport administrators and athletes.
The IOC remarked the 28 federations that govern summer Olympic sports would review the records of Russian athletes and decide who can compete in Rio next month.
Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko remarked we are grateful to the IOC for allowing Russian athletes into the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Mutko however complained about decision of the committee to ban those Russian athletes who have tested positive for performance-enhancing substances even though we know dozens of athletes from well-known countries who will compete at Rio with just such a history. This would mean swimmer Yuliya Yefimova, who won a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics and tested positive for Meldonium this year, and the doping whistleblower, Yuliya Stepanova would now be ruled out and only the US-based long jumper Darya Klishina will likely be the only Russian track and field athlete in Rio.
Alexander Zhukov, the head of the Russian Olympic Committee, termed the IOC decision as a “compromise decision” made under “colossal pressure”. Zhukov added Russian athletes will now have to prove they are clean rather than enjoying the presumption of innocence.
Svetlana Khorkina, the Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast, cautioned athletes of Russia that more “traps will probably be laid” for them in Rio. Legendary Greco-Roman wrestler Alexander Karelin remarked the International Olympic Committee had made the most elegant decision amid the clamor, tendentiousness, unprecedented pressure, desire of some national Olympic committees to remove an obvious contender for Olympic medals from the race by any means.
Britain’s world and Olympic long jump champion, Greg Rutherford, joined the list of those who condemned the IOC decision. Rutherford remarked the decision was a spineless attempt to appear as the nice guy to both sides and warned the International Olympic Committee had thrown away the opportunity to make a clear statement of intent against those who cheat. The Olympic long jump champion remarked we know the pros and the cons of a blanket ban, we know the risks of ‘collective justice’, but we also know the risk of not punishing a culture of doping that comes from the very top and added he would say that the latter is a much greater threat to sport.
Rutherford said he believes the IOC has created an unseemly mess and commented we have certainly not been given a clear message of transparency and progress. Rutherford also said he would have almost been happier if the decision had been a bullish refusal to act in any way and remarked this is a spineless attempt to appear as the nice guy to both sides. The British athlete also said it is a decision without the strength of conviction to sever friendships and take action, or indeed the confidence to recommend against any ban at all.
The ruling by IOC means Russian athletes can compete in Rio Olympics if they can prove to the full satisfaction of their international federation and the IOC and Court of Arbitration for Sport, that they are demonstrably clean.
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