IOC Chief Slam Contemptuous Doping as Russian Appeals Mount

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Russian appeals against Olympic bans were piling up Tuesday as IOC president Thomas Bach slammed what he called the "contemptuous" doping system blamed on the Moscow government. Bach said the Russia scandal along with Brazil's political and economic crises had made the runup to the first Olympics in South America "challenging".

IOC president Thomas Bach slammed what he called the “contemptuous” doping system blamed on the Moscow government as Russian appeals against bans from the Rio Olympics piled up.

Bach said the Russia scandal along with Brazil’s political and economic crises had made the runup to the first Olympics in South America “challenging”.

An investigation by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren which revealed state-organised doping in Russia has overshadowed the buildup to the Rio Games which start Friday.

Eighteen canoeists and rowers made late appeals on Monday adding to challenges from three swimmers, a wrestler and the Russian weightlifting federation already in a queue at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

But speaking at the opening session of an International Olympic Committee meeting, Bach said: “The findings in the McLaren report are very serious, in particular with regards to a system of doping allegedly orchestrated by the Russian ministry of sport.

“If proven true, such a contemptuous system of doping is an unprecedented attack on the integrity of sport and on the Olympic Games.”

The IOC has been criticised for not ordering a blanket ban against Russia. But the German leader of the Olympic movement said there had to be “justice” for athletes who are clean.

“You cannot punish a human being for the failures of his or her government if he or she is not implicated,” he said. Russia has denied any government backing for doping but its sports minister Vitaly Mutko has been barred from attending the Rio Games.

An investigation by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren which revealed state-organised doping in Russia, has overshadowed the buildup to the Rio Games which start Friday.

Eighteen canoeists and rowers made late appeals on Monday adding to challenges from three swimmers, a wrestler and the Russian weightlifting federation already in a queue at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). But speaking at the opening session of an International Olympic Committee meeting, Bach said: "The findings in the McLaren report are very serious, in particular with regards to a system of doping allegedly orchestrated by the Russian ministry of sport. "You cannot punish a human being for the failures of his or her government if he or she is not implicated," he said. Russia has denied any government backing for doping but its sports minister Vitaly Mutko has been barred from attending the Rio Games.

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