Russia will remain banned from track and field events at this year’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics following claims the country ran a state-sponsored doping program.
The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and 68 Russian athletes attempted to overturn the suspension, implemented by the IAAF.
However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has ruled the suspension can stand.
A handful of Russian athletes could still compete as neutrals at the Rio Games, which start on August 5.
“It’s sad but rules are rules,” said Olympic 100m and 200m champion Usain Bolt, who will be chasing more gold medals in Rio.
Usain Bolt said it was important to send a strong message to the dopers.
Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva – one of the 68 to appeal to CAS – said the ruling was “a blatant political order”.
The 2012 gold medalist, 34, told the Tass news agency: “Thank you all for this funeral for athletics.”
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) said it was “pleased CAS has supported its position”, adding that the judgement had “created a level playing field for athletes”.
IAAF president Lord Coe added: “This is not a day for triumphant statements. I didn’t come into this sport to stop athletes from competing.
“Beyond Rio, the IAAF taskforce will continue to work with Russia to establish a clean safe environment for its athletes so that its federation and team can return to international recognition and competition.”
Separately, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is considering calls to ban all Russian competitors across all sports from the Rio Games following a second report into state-sponsored doping.
Some Russian athletes could compete in Rio as neutrals if they meet a number of criteria, including being repeatedly tested outside their homeland.
At least two – 800m runner and doping whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova and US-based long jumper Darya Klishina – have gone down that path.
Now the CAS ruling has cleared the way for more to follow.
CAS said the ROC could still nominate athletes to compete as neutrals. However, there appears to be little time for athletes to comply with the criteria.
Russia was suspended from track and field events by the IAAF in November 2015 following the publication of an independent World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report that showed a culture of widespread, state-sponsored doping.
Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko apologized for Russia’s failure to catch the cheats but stopped short of admitting the scandal had been state-sponsored.
However, another WADA-commissioned report delivered earlier this week – the McLaren report – contained more damaging allegations and suggested senior figures in Russia’s sports ministry were complicit in an organized cover-up.
The report implicated the majority of Olympic sports in the cover-up and claimed that Russian secret service agents were involved in swapping positive urine samples for clean ones.
Following July 18 publication of the McLaren report, the IOC faced calls to ban all Russian competitors from the 2016 Olympics and will hold an second emergency meeting on July 24 to decide its course of action.
The Russian authorities have already suggested that they will look at ways to continue legal action.
Following the ruling, sports minister Vitaly Mutko said CAS had set “a certain precedent” by punishing a collective group for doping offences by individuals.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “The principle of collective responsibility cannot be acceptable. The news is not very good.”
Adidas has announced it is to terminate the IAAF -the International Association of Athletics Federations – sponsorship deal four years early.
The sportswear giant is the IAAF’s biggest sponsor.
Adidas informed the athletics’ world governing body of its decision – understood to be a direct result of the doping scandal sweeping the sport – last week.
The company has not commented, but the IAAF issued a short statement on January 25.
It made no reference to its deal with Adidas, revealing it was “in close contact with all its sponsors and partners as we embark on our reform process”.
Adidas is one of the IAAF’s official partners, along with Canon, Toyota, Seiko, TDK, TBS and Mondo.
According to several reports, Adidas informed the IAAF in November 2015 it was considering ending their relationship early after a report detailed claims of “state sponsored doping” within Russia.
Photo Getty Images
The report was compiled by an independent commission set up by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Earlier this month, the commission’s chairman, Dick Pound, delivered a second, damning report that revealed “corruption was embedded” within the IAAF under former president Lamine Diack.
Within days, a decision at the highest level in Adidas was taken to terminate the relationship with the IAAF.
It is understood the German multinational believes the doping revelations in Dick Pound’s reports constitute a breach of its agreement with the IAAF.
The 11-year deal was signed in 2008 and due to run until 2019. At the time it was signed, it was reported the deal was worth $33 million.
The withdrawal of Adidas will come as a major blow to the sport – and to IAAF president Sebastian Coe – in a time of unprecedented turmoil.
The WADA reports on state sponsored doping have left athletics facing an Olympic year with major reputational damage to repair.
It is also facing a French criminal investigation into corruption, which is looking into the awarding of every World Championships since 2007.
It now seems Adidas believes there is too much reputational risk to its brand to continue its association with the IAAF.
Adidas has also expressed its displeasure at the corruption scandal that continues to engulf FIFA, although it remains world soccer’s governing body’s oldest commercial partner.
The Council of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has provisionally suspended the All-Russia Athletic Federation (ARAF) as an IAAF Member for its alleged involvement in widespread doping.
The decision was taken at the 201st IAAF Council Meeting which was held by teleconference and chaired from London by IAAF President Sebastian Coe on November 13.
Russia has been also suspended from international competition, including the Olympic Games.
The IAAF took action after the publication of an independent World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report that alleged “state-sponsored doping”.
Photo AFP
Its council members voted 22-1 in favor of Russia being banned.
“This is a wake-up call for all of us,” said IAAF president Sebastian Coe.
Russia’s Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said the suspension was “temporary” and the “problem is solvable”.
A total of 24 Members of Council took part in the meeting: 22 voted in favor of the sanction against ARAF, who have been officially informed of the Council’s decision, 1 voted against. The Council Member from Russia was not eligible to participate in the vote.
Vladimir Putin has ordered an investigation into claims Russia’s athletes have been part of a systematic doping program.
The Russian president was speaking for the first time since a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) independent report recommended Russia be banned from athletics competition.
Vladimir Putin said athletes should be punished individually, rather than collectively.
“Sportsmen who don’t dope – and never have – must not answer for those who break the rules,” he said.
“If we find that someone must be held responsible for something of the sort that breaks the rules in place against doping, then the responsibility must be personalized – that’s the rule.”
Vladimir Putin also said he wanted “professional co-operation” with anti-doping bodies.
“The battle must be open,” he said.
“A sporting contest is only interesting when it is honest.”
Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko had earlier said the UK’s anti-doping system had “zero value” and was “even worse” than Russia’s.
That accusation was rejected by the UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Vladimir Putin spoke only about the issues affecting Russia, saying someone must take responsibility should problems be found.
“I ask the minister of sport and all our colleagues who are linked in one way or another with sport to pay this issue the greatest possible attention,” he said, before a meeting sports officials in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
Photo AP
“It is essential that we conduct our own internal investigation and – I want to underline – provide the most open professional co-operation with international anti-doping structures.”
Sebastian Coe, president of athletics’ governing body, the IAAF, has told the Russian athletics federation to respond to WADA’s report by November 13.
The report’s author, Dick Pound, recommended Russian athletes be suspended from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
However, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach said on November 11 his organization had “no authority” to take such action, and the matter was solely for the IAAF to deal with.
Thomas Bach also said the IOC would continue to apply a zero-tolerance policy to doping, and that Olympic medals would be withdrawn from any Russian athlete named in the WADA report who is found guilty of doping.
Eugene, Oregon, has been awarded the 2021 World Athletics Championships without a bidding process.
The sport’s governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) bypassed the normal bidding process saying it was “a unique strategic opportunity” to hold the event in the United States for the first time.
IAAF chief Lamine Diack said the decision was taken “in the interest of the global development of our sport”.
Eugene missed out on the 2019 event.
Doha in Qatar was awarded that championships, but a recent presentation to the IAAF persuaded the governing body that the American city has what it takes to stage a major event.
Lamine Diack added: “In granting the championships to Eugene the IAAF Council have made a clear choice on a strategic decision that enables us to take advantage of a unique opportunity that may never arise again.
“It will see public authorities, the private sector, the national Olympic Committee, NBC and a particularly enthusiastic public joining forces.”
The 2007 World Championships held in Osaka, Japan, was also awarded without a bidding process.
American Samoa, the tiny nation, is better known for producing football and wrestling stars, but never gave any winning sprinter.
That didn’t stop Sogelau Tuvalu, 17, competing in one of the 100 m races at the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea.
Sogelau Tuvalu, the American Samoan sprinter was twice the size of the other six competitors and was the only athlete not wearing spikes on his shoes, risking a false start.
But despite setting off perfectly, Sogelau Tuvalu immediately trailed behind the competitors by a distance of about 40 m at one point.
Sogelau Tuvalu was twice the size of the other six competitors and was the only athlete not wearing spikes on his shoes
The American Samoan sprinter finished last with a time of 15.66 seconds, being 6 seconds slower than winner Mohammad Noor Imran A Hadi from Malaysia.
Wagering websites had listed Sogelau Tuvalu’s odds of winning at 50,000-to-1.
Sogelau Tuvalu’s time is the second slowest in the history of the championships.
Despite setting off perfectly, Sogelau Tuvalu immediately trailed behind the competitors by a distance of about 40 m at one point
2003 World champion, Kim Collins, from the Carribean nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, failed to qualify for the event in Athens in 1997 with his time of 21.73.
Sogelau Tuvalu is the latest in a line of athletes from American Samoa, which has a population of 67,000, who failed to qualify for the shot put.
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Athletes from tiny countries are not required to meet the qualifying standards for track events.
In an interview with French television, Sogelau Tuvalu said he trained 4 hours a day for one month leading up to the meet.
The sprinter achieved his personal best and was upbeat about his efforts.
A reporter asked him: “Did you believe that one day you could race in a world championship?”
Sogelau Tuvalu replied: “I believed in myself. This is a dream come true.”
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At the 2001 championships in Canada, spectators did a double take when Trevor Misipeka – who weighed about 135 kg – took to the track.
He was nicknamed Trevor the Tortoise after finishing last in his heat with a time of 14.28 seconds.
Trevor Misipeka, 32, plays now in the Arena Football League for the Quad City Steamwheelers in Moline, Illinois.
In 2009, in Berlin, 100 kg weight Savannah Sanitoa, then 22, found herself in a similar situation.
She crossed the finish line at 14.23 seconds, losing her heat by nearly 3 seconds.
But Savannah Sanitoa still managed to escape being the slowest in the 100 m on the day. That honour went to Tioiti Katutu from Kiribati, another nation of the Pacific, who clocked 14.38 seconds.
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