The International Olympic Committee has ruled against banning all Russian athletes from the Rio 2016 Olympics, but they are not completely off the hook.
In light of Richard McLaren’s scandalous report that proved a widespread state-run doping system in Russia, the IOC's Executive Board decided to only permit Russians with spotless doping records to compete at Rio 2016.
International sporting federations will evaluate each of their athletes' records individually and determine his or her eligibility for the games.
"Russian athletes in any of the 28 Olympic summer sports have to assume the consequences of what amounts to a collective responsibility in order to protect the credibility of the Olympic competitions, and the 'presumption of innocence' cannot be applied to them," the IOC explains.
"On the other hand, according to the rules of natural justice, individual justice, to which every human being is entitled, has to be applied. This means that each affected athlete must be given the opportunity to rebut the applicability of collective responsibility in his or her individual case.”
The IOC stated that the Russian Olympic Committee was not suspended since no evidence was found against it as an institution and its active role in the doping scheme could not be identified.
The IOC has prohibited all the Russian athletes who have ever been sanctioned for doping from taking part in this year’s games, even if they have already served their sentence. As for those with clean records, international federations will be in charge of determining their Olympic fate with respect to certain criteria set by the IOC.
The international federations are required to apply the World Anti-Doping Code while taking the required measures to determine the credibility of each Russian athlete's records.
1. The absence of a positive national anti-doping test cannot be considered sufficient by the IFs.
2. The IFs should carry out an individual analysis of each athlete’s anti-doping record, taking into account only reliable adequate international tests, and the specificities of the athlete’s sport and its rules, in order to ensure a level playing field.
3. The IFs to examine the information contained in the IP Report, and for such purpose seek from WADA the names of athletes and National Federations implicated. Nobody implicated, be it an athlete, an official, or an NF, may be accepted for entry or accreditation for the Olympic Games.
Eligible Russian Olympians will be subject to a strict out-of-competition testing program, such that any unavailability for testing will immediately lead to suspension.
With the games kicking off in less than two weeks, the IOC did not have time for interrogation and sufficed with the ROC president’s defense. The president declared the ROC’s commitment to clean sport, guaranteeing the committee’s plan to restructure the Russian anti-doping system. He added that all the Russian athletes chosen for the Olympic Games in Rio have been tested during the past six months by foreign anti-doping agencies.
The ruling prompted contradictory responses, as some believed it was objective, while others thought it was too lenient and does not match the severity of such a governmental doping program. Additionally, some pointed out that sports federations do not have sufficient time to effectively evaluate every Russian athlete’s case.
“In response to the most important moment for clean athletes and the integrity of the Olympic Games, the IOC has refused to take decisive leadership," said the American anti-doping agency’s president, according to ESPN .
On the other hand, BBC quoted IOC President Thomas Bach's defense, "We have set the bar to the limit by establishing a number of very strict criteria which every Russian athlete will have to fulfill if he or she wants to participate in the Olympic Games Rio 2016. I think in this way, we have balanced on the one hand, the desire and need for collective responsibility versus the right to individual justice of every individual athlete."
Meanwhile, Russian officials have denied any link between the government and the doping scheme, claiming the accusations are part of a Western conspiracy against their country, Reuters reports.
Still, Russia's track and field athletes are banned from competing in the Rio Olympics. As for Russia’s fate in the Paralympics this September, the International Paralympic Committee declared that it will be decided next month.
McLaren is authorized to continue his investigation, so additional sanctions are expected with the release of his final report.
