IOC terms for Russians, Kenyans
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OLYMPIC leaders called for drug-testing of individual Russian and Kenyan athletes across all sports, warning yesterday that evidence of inadequate doping controls in those countries could lead to more teams being barred from the Rio de Janeiro Games.
At the same time, the international sports officials also opened the door to some Russian track and field athletes competing under their own flag — not as neutral athletes — in Rio.
IOC President Thomas Bach convened a special Olympic summit to follow up on the IAAF’s decision to maintain its ban on Russia’s track team for the games and to take additional steps to ensure a “level playing field” for all athletes in Rio.
The meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, came four days after the IAAF, track and field’s world governing body, upheld its ban — first imposed in November — on Russian athletes for a “systematic and deeply-rooted culture of doping”.
The summit reiterated that it fully respects the IAAF decision, which Russian officials have condemned as unfair to “innocent athletes”. The Russians confirmed yesterday they will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“We consider it unfair on the vast majority of our athletes who have never doped and have not violated any criteria,” Russian Olympic Committee chief Alexander Zhukov told the meeting. “They will be punished for the sins of others.”
While backing the IAAF decision, the summit also expanded the scope of the doping probes to deal with all sports in Russia and Kenya, two countries deemed non-compliant with rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency. The summit, which also cited “substantial allegations” against those countries, put the onus on each international sports federation to make sure their athletes are clean ahead of the Rio Games, which open on August 5.
“The Olympic summit considers the ‘presumption of innocence’ of athletes from these countries being put seriously into question,” the leaders said in a statement. “As a result, every IF should take a decision on the eligibility of such athletes on an individual basis to ensure a level playing field in their sport.”
Bach said the federations need to take into account whether the tests were analyzed at tainted labs or fail to meet to meet other international standards.
Kenya — home to many of the world’s top distance runners — has been hit by dozens of positive drug cases in recent years and has struggled to set up a credible anti-doping system. IAAF officials, however, have said Kenya should not be in danger of missing the games because its athletes have been subjected to extensive international testing.
While upholding its ban on Russia last week, the IAAF had opened the door to a small group of Russian athletes who live and undergo rigorous drug-testing outside the country to apply to compete as “neutral” athletes in Rio. The IAAF has said that would apply to only a handful of athletes. The IOC, however, said that if any Russians are deemed eligible by the IAAF they would be in line to compete under the Russian flag.
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