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NINETEEN more Russian rowers have been banned from the Olympics, taking the toll of the nation’s athletes suspended from Rio to 108 after explosive revelations of state-run doping across Russian sport.
As the list of suspended Russians grows, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) continues to face criticism for failing to ban Russia outright. Germany’s Olympic discus champion Robert Harting launched an attack on IOC president Thomas Bach, calling his compatriot "part of the doping system not the antidoping system".
Bach fired back that the decision to leave individual sports federations to decide which Russians could compete "respects the right of every clean athlete around the world".
Five canoeists and two modern pentathletes were barred, with the number of Russians banned since Sunday standing at 41. They are in addition to 67 track and field athletes already banned by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
While there was good news for Russian athletes competing in judo, equestrian, tennis and shooting, the international rowing federation Fisa banned 22 of Russia’s 28 rowers. It said those banned were "not considered to have participated in doping" but were being excluded as they "do not meet the conditions established by the IOC".
With just six rowers Russia can only compete with one boat in Brazil, a men’s coxless four, after five boats had qualified.
Pavel Sozykin was the competitor banned by World Sailing, with the other six Russian sailors allowed to compete, and a replacement for Sozykin will be allowed.
The International Canoe Federation said it had taken "swift action" to remove five canoe sprint paddlers from Rio after the release of additional information naming those implicated in the McLaren report. The report by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren for the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) detailed an elaborate doping system in Russia directed by the sports ministry that affected more than 30 sports.
The banned five include Alexey Korovashkov, a five-time world champion who won a bronze medal in London four years ago, and Alexander Dyachenko, who took gold in a doubles kayak sprint.
" We are saddened that our sport is implicated. We have taken swift action and removed all offending athletes where doping evidence exists," said canoe federation secretary-general Simon Toulson.
Modern pentathlon’s governing body said Maksim Kustov and Ilia Frolov had been implicated in the McLaren report and were being booted from Rio. The report linked both to the so-called "disappearing positive methodology", meaning their positive drug tests at a Moscow laboratory in 2014 were never reported.
Yuliya Stepanova, the Russian 800m runner who lifted the lid on systematic doping and corruption in Russian athletics, is making a last-gasp appeal against her ban. Her inclusion is backed by the IAAF and many antidoping officials, who have praised her whistleblowing efforts, but was nixed by an IOC ethics commission. Four-time world breaststroke champion Yulia Efimova has also announced plans to appeal against her ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
In some rare good news for Russia, the International Shooting Sport Federation said that all 18 competitors nominated by Russia had been cleared because they had not been mentioned in the McLaren report.
Most Russian competitors will fly out on Thursday, but it remains to be seen how many will actually take part in the Games because several federations have yet to weigh in.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
More Russians banned in mounting Olympic toll
NINETEEN more Russian rowers have been banned from the Olympics, taking the toll of the nation’s athletes suspended from Rio to 108 after explosive revelations of state-run doping across Russian sport.
As the list of suspended Russians grows, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) continues to face criticism for failing to ban Russia outright. Germany’s Olympic discus champion Robert Harting launched an attack on IOC president Thomas Bach, calling his compatriot "part of the doping system not the antidoping system".
Bach fired back that the decision to leave individual sports federations to decide which Russians could compete "respects the right of every clean athlete around the world".
Five canoeists and two modern pentathletes were barred, with the number of Russians banned since Sunday standing at 41. They are in addition to 67 track and field athletes already banned by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
While there was good news for Russian athletes competing in judo, equestrian, tennis and shooting, the international rowing federation Fisa banned 22 of Russia’s 28 rowers. It said those banned were "not considered to have participated in doping" but were being excluded as they "do not meet the conditions established by the IOC".
With just six rowers Russia can only compete with one boat in Brazil, a men’s coxless four, after five boats had qualified.
Pavel Sozykin was the competitor banned by World Sailing, with the other six Russian sailors allowed to compete, and a replacement for Sozykin will be allowed.
The International Canoe Federation said it had taken "swift action" to remove five canoe sprint paddlers from Rio after the release of additional information naming those implicated in the McLaren report. The report by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren for the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) detailed an elaborate doping system in Russia directed by the sports ministry that affected more than 30 sports.
The banned five include Alexey Korovashkov, a five-time world champion who won a bronze medal in London four years ago, and Alexander Dyachenko, who took gold in a doubles kayak sprint.
" We are saddened that our sport is implicated. We have taken swift action and removed all offending athletes where doping evidence exists," said canoe federation secretary-general Simon Toulson.
Modern pentathlon’s governing body said Maksim Kustov and Ilia Frolov had been implicated in the McLaren report and were being booted from Rio. The report linked both to the so-called "disappearing positive methodology", meaning their positive drug tests at a Moscow laboratory in 2014 were never reported.
Yuliya Stepanova, the Russian 800m runner who lifted the lid on systematic doping and corruption in Russian athletics, is making a last-gasp appeal against her ban. Her inclusion is backed by the IAAF and many antidoping officials, who have praised her whistleblowing efforts, but was nixed by an IOC ethics commission. Four-time world breaststroke champion Yulia Efimova has also announced plans to appeal against her ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
In some rare good news for Russia, the International Shooting Sport Federation said that all 18 competitors nominated by Russia had been cleared because they had not been mentioned in the McLaren report.
Most Russian competitors will fly out on Thursday, but it remains to be seen how many will actually take part in the Games because several federations have yet to weigh in.
AFP
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