Some of Russia’s best Olympians have been banned Friday from the Rio 2016 games this August for doping with drugs Putin’s government gave them.
Russia’s track and field team was ready to sprint to the gold in Rio, but the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which governs professional track and field athletes worldwide, banned them for cheating. The IAAF upheld its initial November ban.
IAAF alleges the Russian secret service plays an active role in covertly supplying performance enhancing drugs to the country’s athletes.
The ban is sweeping and applies to the entire Russian track and field team. Individual athletes are allowed to contest the IAAF ruling and if they are admitted to the games, it would be as “neutrals,” rather than as Russians. The Russian Ministry of Sports is “extremely disappointed” with the ban, according to a statement released by the ministry.
Russian gold medalist Yelena Isinbayeva, 34, responded to the ban, saying in part, “We are blamed for something we have not done. I will not remain silent, I will take measures. I will appeal to the human rights court.” Russia claims through its Ministry of Sports that, “Clean athletes’ dreams are being destroyed because of the reprehensible behavior of other athletes and officials. They have sacrificed years of their lives striving to compete at the Olympics and now that sacrifice looks likely to be wasted.”
The track and field team is the only part of the Russian Olympic team affected by the IAAF ruling. Russia is more known for its success during the Winter Olympics, which it hosted in Sochi in 2014.
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