LONDON: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it was not worried about an expected ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) expected today on whether 32 Russian athletes should be allowed to compete at the Winter Games starting this week.
As many as 32 Russian athletes filed yet more appeals with CAS seeking spots in the games. The 32 failed to pass IOC vetting and were not invited.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not fearful in any way,鈥� IOC spokesman Mark Adams said.
鈥淲e wait for the decision (today). We鈥檙e very confident with the stance we鈥檝e taken.鈥�
The IOC expects 168 Russian athletes who have been deemed 鈥渃lean鈥� to participate in the games under the banner of 鈥淥lympic Athletes from Russia,鈥� absent of any national flags, uniforms or national logos.
The contentious issue of the Russian ban, and the way it was handled by the IOC, threatens to overshadow the games themselves with 3,000 athletes expected to compete.
The sense that the story refuses to go away was only added to as Russia鈥檚 Olympic Athletes Commission expressed 鈥渉uge disappointment鈥� over the IOC鈥檚 decision not to invite to Pyeongchang 15 Russian athletes and staff whose life bans for doping were lifted.
The IOC ruled on Monday that 13 Russian athletes and two ex-athletes now working as support staff will not be invited to the Pyeongchang Winter Games despite having their life bans for doping removed last week by CAS.
The IOC has barred Russia from the Pyeongchang Olympics, which open on Friday, over a widespread doping conspiracy. But 169 Russians who have passed strict anti-doping protocols will compete under a neutral flag as Olympic Athletes from Russia.
鈥淲ith a huge disappointment, the members of ROC鈥檚 Athletes鈥� Commission have found out about decision of IOC鈥檚 Invitation Review Panel not to invite 13 Russian athletes and 2 coaches fully acquitted by (the CAS) to 2018 Winter Olympics,鈥� the commission statement said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 surprising that IOC Commission makes its decisions on the basis of some additional, suspicious, and anonymous information and accounts of one single fraudster,鈥� the commission said, referring to whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov, who is the source of revelations on Moscow鈥檚 state-sponsored doping.
The Russian athletes鈥� statement said that they have supported the IOC statement 鈥渢hat it鈥檚 necessary to respect rights of clean athletes.鈥�
However, the commission said that the 鈥渕assive denial for clean Russian athletes violates the principle of equality and contests efficiency of justice.鈥�
鈥淒reams of athletes willing to participate in Olympics who have fairly won the right for it are being destroyed, and irreparable damage is being caused to basic ideals, values of Olympism,鈥� it said.