Olympic champion hurdler Sally Pearson doesn't believe the entire Russian athletics team should be banned from the Games.
Despite admitting it was "unrealistic" to expect Rio 2016 to be clean, the London 2012 gold medallist says she doesn't agree with a potential widespread ban following WADA's revelations of systematic doping in the team.
"I don't believe in banning the whole country," she told News Corp Australia.
While Pearson says the sport must now look to the future and aim for a cleaner generation, she said she felt for fellow-Australian Jared Tallent, who should finally be awarded of a gold medal for the 50-kilometre walk at the London 2012 games next month.
Tallent finished second behind disgraced Russian Sergey Kirdyapkin, who tested positive to banned substances both before and after the 2012 Games.
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But Pearson says receiving the medal more than three years later robs Tallent of more than just the experience of standing at the top of the medal dias.
"He never got to get more sponsors, that is all gone for him, all that excitement and all that emotion," she said.
"He doesn't get to feel that and the joy of standing up on that podium. They've taken everything away from him and he's never going to get that back."
