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Russian doping scandal
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Russia coach Alexey Melnikov congratulates Olga Kaniskina and Sergey Kirdyapkin congratulates Anisya Kirdyapkina at the 2012 Olympic Games. Photo: AP

Clinging to a thread: Kremlin expects International Olympic Committee to allow clean Russian competitors at Olympic Games

The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) executive board are to hold a conference call on Sunday to discuss banning Russia from the Rio Games starting on August 5

Russia insisted on Friday they expect to avoid a blanket ban from the International Olympic Committee on their competitors at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro despite their track and field squad losing an appeal over suspension for state-sponsored doping.

“All sportsmen who have not been convicted or are not under suspicion of doping should have the right to compete,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“That is the decision we are counting on.”

The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) executive board are to hold a conference call on Sunday to discuss banning Russia from the Rio Games starting on August 5.

Matthieu Reeb, General Secretary of the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Photo: EPA

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday ruled against Russia’s athletes in a decision seen as a key indicator as the IOC debates whether to kick out the whole Russian team.

State of emergency: Russia’s Olympic Games status hangs by a thread as IOC considers ban after doping report

The IOC is facing international pressure to act tough on Russia and ban the entire team over bombshell revelations of a state-run doping system that has seen the country cheat their way to victory.

Fourteen national anti-doping agencies including the United States, Canada and Germany sent a joint letter to IOC president Thomas Bach on Thursday urging him to ban Russia from Rio.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: AP

Officials in Moscow have slammed the decision by CAS to reject their appeal against a ban from world athletics body the International Association of Athletics Federations, calling it part of a broader political campaign by the West against Russia.

What’s the point? Yelena Isinbayeva vows to quit training if Russia is banned from Olympic Games over doping

The suspension of the track and field team already means that star athletes like pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva and hurdler Sergey Shubenkov will not be in Rio.

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