IOC crushes Vladimir Putin hope, backs Rio ban

Twenty-four hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would seek the intervention of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over the International Association of Athletics Federations’ (IAAF) decision to exclude Russian track and field athletes from Rio Olympics, the IOC on Saturday said it welcomed the IAAF’s “strong stance against doping”.

“This is in line with the IOC’s long-held zero-tolerance policy... The eligibility of athletes in any international competition, including the Olympic Games, is a matter for the respective International Federation,” said the IOC in a statement.

Reacting with fury over the decision, Russian president Vladimir Putin called it “unfair”, although it was widely supported by athletes across the sporting world.

Russia’s sports minister Vitaly Mutkoalso on Saturday admitted that their athletes’ Olympic hopes are now over.

Earlier on Friday, Mr Putin had expected the IOC to oppose the IAAF decision, while vowing to speak with WADA.

“Of course, it is unfair... Responsibility must be always personalised. If someone in your family has committed an offence is it fair to prosecute all the family members... the people who have no relation to the violations — why should they suffer for others ” Mr Putin had said.

Meanwhile, to make matters worse, Russian investigators on Saturday said they had launched a criminal case against the former head of the country’s anti-doping laboratory, Grigory Rodchenkov, for “abuse of power”. Mr Rodchenkov had alleged that the Russian government and security service were involved in cover-ups at the 2014 Sochi Olympics that involved at least 15 medallists. Russian athletes won a total of 397 medals at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.