Seven Russian swimmers banned

Barred athletes include 100m breast champion Efimova.

Seven Russian swimmers have been barred from the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, including three linked to recent allegations of a major doping cover-up by Russian authorities, world swimming’s governing body FINA said Monday.

Reigning world 100-meter breaststroke champion Yulia Efimova is among four Russian swimmers withdrawn by the Russian swimming federation because they previously served doping bans, FINA said. The others are Natalya Lovtsova, Anastasia Krapivina and Mikhail Dovgalyuk.

The International Olympic Committee on Sunday said Russian athletes with previous doping bans would be banned from the Rio Games.

That followed the IOC’s decision not to ban the entire Russian team over allegations of state-sponsored doping.

FINA said three more swimmers were identified by World Anti-Doping Agency investigator Richard McLaren when he examined evidence that Russian government officials ordered the cover-up of hundreds of doping tests.

They are 2008 Olympic silver and 2012 bronze medalist Nikita Lobintsev, bronze medalist Vladimir Morozov and world junior record holder Daria Ustinova.

Russia’s top Olympic official, Alexander Zhukov, told Russian agency R-Sport that he now believed a total of 13 Russians would be ineligible due to previous doping bans. They would be withdrawn from the team, he added.

The 13 are likely to include athletes in swimming, cycling, weightlifting, wrestling and rowing. Russian cyclist Ilnur Zakarin, who won a stage during the Tour de France, could be ruled out because he served a twoyear ban after testing positive for a steroid in 2009.

On Sunday, the IOC’s executive board asked individual global sports federations to decide on the entry of Russian athletes, and announced new eligibility criteria. The rules prohibit Russia from sending to the Rio Games any athletes who have previously served doping bans.

Sports federations can also reject Russian entries if they have not undergone enough international drug testing.

Results of Russian tests will not be accepted after allegations of cover-ups at Moscow’s anti-doping lab.

Now, with the Aug. 5 opening ceremony approaching, it is up to the remaining 27 international sports federations to vet Russian athletes on an individual basis.