IAAF considers suspending Russia from Rio Olympics

World Today

IAAF considering suspend Russia from Rio Olympics

Russia is waiting to hear if its track and field athletes will be allowed to compete at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Council members of the International Association of Athletics Federations are meeting in Vienna.

The organization suspended Russia last year following a damning report by the World Anti Doping agency.

CCTV America’s Dan Williams has the story from Vienna.
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Council members of the world body for athletics suspended Russia from international competition last year for systematic doping. But Russian authorities are hopeful a complete Olympic ban will be avoided.

“We are thinking about the future. And we are sure that now we are in the situation when we can say that it is impossible to come back to previous mistake in the past. I am sure, I hope, that will be the base of positive decision for us,” said Mikhail Butov, a Russia IAAF Council member.

A World Anti-Doping Agency report claims that 736 tests from Russian athletes were denied or cancelled since the ban came into place. The report also says 52 athletes returned positive tests since November, and said testers were obstructed and harassed by Russian security services.

This is one of the biggest decisions the IAAF has ever had to make. It would still be a significant move to ban a nation’s entire track and field team from competing at the Olympics. But even if the suspension is upheld, there could still be a way for Russian athletes to line up in Rio.

The International Olympic Committee could allow at least some Russian track and field athletes to compete in Rio. Olympic chiefs will hold a summit next week to discuss the issue.