IOC Endorse Decision Not To Boot Russia

There’s been just one dissenting voice at the IOC session in Rio, against the decision not to put a blanket Olympic ban on Russia.

The more than 100 members of the IOC have voted almost unanimously to ratify the decision not to kick Russia out of the Rio Games entirely, effectively endorsing the call made by President Thomas Bach.

However British member Adam Pengilly, a former skeleton racer who sits on the athletes commission, was the only one to vote against the call.

WADA has again been hammered left right and centre, with many members of the IOC pushing for major reform of the anti-doping agency in light of recent events.

The World Anti-Doping Agency reacted to criticism by IOC president Thomas Bach over the Russian doping fiasco, but its leaders look unlikely to front publicly prior to the Games.

In a statement, WADA has defended the timing of the McLaren report, which Bach blamed for so much of the uncertainty over which Russians can compete just days out from the Games.

It was published just three weeks ago, but WADA says while it is destabilizing, McLaren’s focus was on finding the level of involvement of Russian officials rather than on individual athletes.

WADA says that information needed to be released.

But fearing it would be overshadowed by ongoing discussion in Rio, WADA has cancelled it’s pre Olympic media conference scheduled for Friday.

via Radio Sport