OLYMPICS: IOC holds off on Russia ban for now

The International Olympic Committee, under fierce pressure to respond aggressively to a doping scheme that corrupted the results of the past two Olympics, said Tuesday that it was considering legal options to discipline Russian athletes ahead of the coming Rio Games and had appointed a five-person disciplinary commission. 

Russia’s track and field team was barred from Rio by the sport’s governing body last month, a decision supported by the IOC and challenged by Russia with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. That hearing took in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Tuesday, at the same time that IOC officials met. Olympic officials indicated they were awaiting a ruling in that case, expected Thursday, before announcing further action. 

The court’s decision about the legality of the ban on Russia’s track team could heavily influence what course of action Olympic officials ultimately take. The ban left a “narrow crack in the door” for athletes who could prove they have been subjected to rigorous drug-testing outside of Russia to petition to compete. 

As of Monday, the day that Olympic rosters were to be finalized, that hurdle had been cleared by two Russian athletes, both of whom had been living in the United States. 

In its statement, the IOC said it would “explore the legal options with regard to a collective ban of all Russian athletes for the Olympic Games 2016 versus the right to individual justice.” 

The statement also said that the federations that govern individual sports should begin determining the eligibility of Russian athletes while the IOC considers its options.