Olympic doping scandal: Farce over Russia’s fate at Rio 2016 increases

From bad to worse: Hearing on an appeal by four-time swimming world champion Efimova has not been set
Clive Rose/Getty Images

The controversy over Russian athletes competing in Rio descended into further farce last night amid a conflicting series of rulings.

Today, the International Olympic Committee were due to announce the fate of more than 250 Russian athletes, who have been cleared to compete in Rio by the sporting federations and Court of Arbitration for Sport experts.

The IOC decided not to issue a blanket ban to Russia from the Games despite a report exposing state-backed doping in the country.

However, that move has caused huge uncertainty as was proved last night when the CAS backed the ban on Russian weightlifters but could not decide on the eligibility of two swimmers.

And less than a day from the opening ceremony a date for a hearing on an appeal by four-time swimming world champion Yuliya Efimova has not been set. By coincidence, the 24‑year‑old is staying at the same Rio hotel where the IOC are meeting.

In a further twist, sailor Pavel Sozykin was cleared to take part despite being named in Richard McLaren’s World Anti-Doping Agency independent report.

World Sailing had banned him from the 470 class but last night performed a U‑turn saying the McLaren report “did not include specific information as to whether the positive test occurred in competition or out of competition”.

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It added: “The substance for which he tested positive is not prohibited out of competition and, if the sample had been taken out of competition, would not have resulted in a sanction”.

Sozykin could be banned again, however, with the final ruling down to the three-person IOC panel hearing cases in Rio.

The same panel, whose verdict will be announced today, are also ruling on Russian swimmers Vladimir Morozov and Lobintsev, after CAS failed to reach a decision on them.

CAS took a more robust approach with regards to Russia’s weightlifters, who failed to have their blanket ban overturned.

The team were blocked from competing in Rio by the International Weightlifting Federation and last night CAS said the decision was “valid and properly applied”.

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