CAS has overruled the IOC’s decision that Russian athletes, who have served a doping sanction, will not be allowed to compete in the Olympic Games in Rio. The ruling may allow more than the current 271 approved Russian athletes to compete.

When the IOC abstained from issuing a general ban on Russian athletes after the McLaren report revealing a state supported doping system, the committee failed on its self-proclaimed mission “to protect clean athletes”. Thousands of clean athletes in sport’s global elite and sub-elite are even less protected than before.

When the IOC abstained from issuing a general ban on Russian athletes after the McLaren report revealing a state supported doping system, the committee failed on its self-proclaimed mission “to protect clean athletes”. Thousands of clean athletes in sport’s global elite and sub-elite are even less protected than before.

The world governing body of athletics responds to its deep credibility crisis by launching a reform package to be adopted in five months at a special congress.

Yuliya Stepanova and Alex Schwazer revealed doping practices in Russia and Italy. Sports writer Johannes Aumüller and sports editor Thomas Kistner from Süddeutsche Zeitung ask if this is why the two athletes now have to worry about their start at the Olympic Games.

According to a BBC programme, Lord Sebastian Coe became president of the International Associations of Athletics Federations (IAAF) with the help of Papa Massata Diack, former IAAF marketing consultant, involved in an alleged system of corruption in sports.

The ban on Russian athletics remains, says the IAAF but leaves loophole for athlete whistleblowers to compete independently at the Rio Olympics.