IOC decision is a cop-out raps Pinsent
by the IAAF after claims of a state-sponsored doping programme.
Russian stars in the other 27 Olympic sports will have to meet strict criteria laid down by the IOC.
Anybody who has served a doping ban will not be eligible for the Olympics, which begin a week on Friday.
As a consequence, the IOC have prevented Russian whistleblower Yulia Stepanova to compete as a neutral athlete in Rio because she does not satisfy the IOC’s “ethical requirements”.
This is a controversial move given that it was her revelations of widespread doping within Russian sport after she tested positive and was banned, which formed a vital part of the original WADA report in November.
The International Tennis Federation were the first to declare publicly yesterday that seven Russian tennis players would be permitted to compete.
Bach said: “We have set the bar to the limit by establishing a number of very strict criteria which every Russian athlete will have to fulfil to participate in Rio.”
Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko says the IOC criteria is “very tough, but that’s a kind of challenge for our team. I’m sure the majority of our team will comply.”
About “80 per cent” of the Russian team regularly undergoes international testing of the kind specified in the IOC criteria, he added. However, a number of British stars voiced their disapproval at the IOC’s decision.
Cracknell, below, was one of the first to slate the governing body but former swimmer Sharron Davies also tweeted: “Looks like the IOC copped out again. Disgraceful. I feel so disappointed in the IOC. It shows it’s more about the money than the sport. Shame on them.”
Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford tweeted: “Well, that’s the IOC board off my Xmas card list then.”
Sir Matthew Pinsent, a four-time rowing Olympic champion, tweeted: “So the IOC have hospital passed that all to the IFs (International Federations). No you decide. We don’t want to. What a cop-out.”
The IAAF released a statement stating it is “ready to offer assistance to other international federations going through this process”.
IAAF President Sebastian Coe said: “We have created and been through the process. We know how hard it is emotionally and rationally to get the process right.”
In Rio, the Australia team have refused to move into the athletes’ village over concerns about “blocked toilets, leaking pipes and exposed wiring”.
“Due to a variety of problems, including gas, electricity and plumbing, no team member will move into our allocated building,” said the head of their delegation Kitty Chiller.