BONUSES TO ATHLETES BARRED FROM RIO

MOSCOW: Russian athletes banned from the Rio Games will be provided financial assistance, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has said at a meeting with members the country’s Olympics team. “The foundation will transfer funds to the Russian Olympic Committee to provide financial assistance to our leading athletes, members of our national track and field team banned from the Games by the IOC,” Medvedev said on Thursday, reports Tass. “We believe that will be the right decision. We have no doubt that, but for this unfair decision, they would have succeeded making a significant contribution to our total medals count.” All Russian track and field athletes, except for long jumper Darya Klishina, the Russian weightlifting team and rowers, were barred from the Games.