Seven Russian swimmers dip out at Olympics
Swimming’s world governing body Fina has ruled that seven Russians, including breaststroke medal hopeful Yulia Efimova, are ineligible to compete in the Rio Olympics.
The decision follows the International Olympic Committee’s ruling not to impose a blanket ban on Russian athletes due to the country’s doping history, allowing sports federations to decide on individual cases.
‘‘Fina acknowledges and supports the IOC’s position in respect of the participation of clean Russian athletes to the Olympic Games in Rio,’’ Fina said.
Russian swimmers Mikhail Dovgalyuk, Natalia Lovtcova and Anastasia Krapivina were also withdrawn.
Nikita Lobintsev, Vladimir Morozov and Daria Ustinova are ineligible to compete at the Rio Games as their names appeared in a recent World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) Independent Person report, Fina said.
Whistleblower Yulia Stepanova, who helped uncover the Russian doping scandal, has made a last-ditch attempt to compete in Rio.
Stepanova’s hopes of running in Rio next month as an independent athlete were dashed when the International Olympic Committee ruled on Monday that no Russian with a doping background could take part.
In a statement issued by Stepanova and her husband Vitaly, they said they had written to the IOC asking for a review, 10 days before the start of the Games in the Brazilian metropolis.
‘‘The [IOC] decision is unfair as based on wrong and untrue statements,’’ they said.
The world athletics federation (IAAF) had praised her contribution to the fight against doping and cleared her to compete as a neutral athlete.
The IOC invited the middledistance runner and her husband to attend next month’s Games as guests but denied her a competitive spot in Rio, arguing her doping-tainted past made her ineligible. The IOC had also said Stepanova had refused to compete as a member of the Russian team, a claim she rejects.
‘‘Yulia made it absolutely clear that this was not based on her wish