Russian athletes have been offered a lifeline by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after it ruled against a blanket ban following doping allegations.The I-O-C says all Russian athletes are tainted by the allegations and will have to prove their innocence in order to compete.Individual sports' governing bodies will have to decide if Russian competitors are clean and able to take part.
I-O-C President Thomas Bach says the decision is about protecting innocent athletes.
BACH
"Every human being is entitled to individual justice. There we have set the bar to the absolute limit for how Russian athletes can achieve to compete in Rio. All of them have to meet individually this number of very strict criteria we have established today."
The decision follows a report in which Canadian law professor Richard McLaren alleged Russia operated a state-sponsored doping program from 2011 to 2015, including during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. With less than two weeks before the Rio Games begin, individual athletes must prove they have a spotless international record on drug testing. Athletes who have been sanctioned in the past for doping won't be eligible.
Russia's Sports Minister, Vitaly Mutko [vee-TAH-lee MOOT-ko], has welcomed the I-O-C decision.
MUTKO
"Of course, this is a very important decision. And I think it is taken in the interests of the unity of world sport and the unity of the Olympic family. Because doping, of course, is a universal evil and not exclusively Russia's problem. And of course, it can only be defeated by joint effort."
The World Anti-Doping Agency and 14 national anti-doping organisations had urged the I-O-C to impose a blanket ban following the allegations.The Anti-Doping Agency in the UNited States says the I-O-C's decision shows a lack of leadership. Russian trampolinist Andrei Yudin hopes to compete in Rio; he says it's important athletes be given the chance to prove themselves.
YUDIN
"It is fair that the IOC made the decision to let the Russian team compete under our own flag, because this country places lots of expectations upon us. I think every athlete should understand that doping is not fair, that doping is wrong towards other countries' athletes. I think that doping is wrong."
Russian officials and government officers have said the doping allegations are part of a Western conspiracy against their country. The Rio Games start on the 5th of August.
