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With less than 24 hours to go until competition the question as to whether Russian Olympian Yuliya Efimova will be cleared to compete still remains.
It was ruled yesterday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that Efimova would not be eligible to compete in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, however that decision was still pending confirmation by the review panel of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Russian news source TASS announced earlier today that she had won her case with the CAS and would be included on the Russian Olympic bid. Andrei Mitkov, Efimova’s agent, explained to TASS that,
If Yulia has to undergo the process of matching the FINA and IOC selection criteria for the Olympics again, it is clear that she meets all these requirements and should be allowed to compete in the Olympics. Yefimova took the necessary number of doping tests – 14. All of them were taken outside Russia in the territory of the United States and were analyzed by the best US laboratories. — TASS
Russian sports minister, Vitaly Mutko, later joined the conversation by expressing his pleasure with the decision, stating, “I am glad that a reasonable and fair decision was made on Efimova.”
Vladimir Salknikov, president of the Russian Swimming Federation, explained to R-Sport today that “FINA [swimming’s governing body] said that it supports the rights of Efimova, Anastasia Krapivina, Mikhail Dovgaluk, Daria Ustinova and Nataliya Lovtsova to being allowed to take part in the Games and has sent its recommendation to CAS.”
The final decision now rests with the IOC’s three-member review panel according to Alexandra Brilliantova, lawyer of the Russian Olympic Committee, who noted “So far, no obstacles are seen.”
Should Efimova be confirmed as cleared for competition she will swim in prelims of the women’s 100 breaststroke on Sunday, August 7th, although she is still missing from the psych sheets.
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Seriously!?!?!? All the reason to cheer harder for Lilly King!!!!!
You mean for Ruta 😉
The whole thing is a farce and the Olympics no longer stand for what they are suppose to. Beyond disgusted…?
Spineless, feckless IOC–no integrity
This is just wrong on so many levels
Efimova is a US based swimmer is she not? With 14 negative tests (all of them taken outside Russia in the territory of the United States and analyzed by the best US laboratories) may well stand for something! Was the last ‘positive test’ (which she served a ban for) not a possible result of wearing the wrong sun cream? Who coaches her in the US and what are the thoughts of this ‘US Coach’? We must have a ‘clean sport’ yes, a Russian swimmer took away my third Olympic medal in 1996 and has since lost his life to this world we live (I do not know the circumstances). CAS failed me and the IOC were negligent in the case of the Russian Federation verses the IOC in 1996. My concerns here are related to vast inconsistencies where other swimmers are competing at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and yet have abused the system much more than Efimova!
No backbone or dignity here from the IOC ..She should bow out gracefully herself in respect of the sport itself. Once you have disgraced your sport, competing at Olympic level should be off the table . I have no respect for this swimmer and in my eyes is not an Olympic athlete as she abused that honour , she doesn’t deserve to be recognised as one this year !
What message does this send . Feel for the clean athletes
Drugs = permanent ban .. No excuse .. No argument
If you’re gonna let nearly 300 other Russians compete I can’t see any good reason to discriminate against the hottie!
A total farce she should not be allowed to compete at all. Totally wrong.
Real sports with Bryant Gumble has a piece that aired last week on the IOC. It made me very disappointed in the whole process