Russian athletes appeal Olympic ban in international court
Russian track athletes – banned en masse from the 2016 Summer Olympics over allegations of systemic doping -- are not going down without a fight.
As many as 67 members of the powerhouse squad have filed appeals with the international Court of Arbitration for Sport, according to Russian media reports.
The nation’s sports minister, Vitaly Mutko, confirmed the appeals to the Interfax news agency but did not identify the athletes involved.
The Russian team has been suspended from international competition since last year, when a World Anti-Doping Agency report detailed allegations of cheating among athletes, coaches and officials.
Though national sports officials subsequently instituted a series of reforms, the IAAF -- track’s governing body worldwide -- upheld the ban earlier this month.
In addition to the legal challenges, Mutko said scores of Russian athletes have applied to the IAAF to enter the Games as “neutrals†under the Olympic flag. They face unusually high standards for proving they have competed cleanly.
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