IOC decides against imposing blanket ban on all Russian athletes for Rio

Instead, the governing body says it will be up to individual sports to decide if Russian athletes are clean and should be permitted to take part in the Games.

That means that with 12 days to go before the start of the Games, sport governing bodies will have to quickly assess the doping records of all Russians hoping to compete in Brazil.

However, the IOC is applying strict criteria:

"1. The IOC will not accept any entry of any Russian athlete in the Olympic Games Rio 2016 unless such athlete can meet the conditions set out below.

"2. Entry will be accepted by the IOC only if an athlete is able to provide evidence to the full satisfaction of his or her International Federation (IF) in relation to the following criteria:

• The IFs*, when establishing their pool of eligible Russian athletes, to apply the World Anti-Doping Code and other principles agreed by the Olympic Summit (21 June 2016).

• The absence of a positive national anti-doping test cannot be considered sufficient by the IFs.

• The IFs should carry out an individual analysis of each athlete’s anti-doping record, taking into account only reliable adequate international tests, and the specificities of the athlete’s sport and its rules, in order to ensure a level playing field.

• The IFs to examine the information contained in the IP Report, and for such purpose seek from WADA the names of athletes and National Federations (NFs) implicated. Nobody implicated, be it an athlete, an official, or an NF, may be accepted for entry or accreditation for the Olympic Games.

• The IFs will also have to apply their respective rules in relation to the sanctioning of entire NFs.

"3. The ROC is not allowed to enter any athlete for the Olympic Games Rio 2016 who has ever been sanctioned for doping, even if he or she has served the sanction.

"4. The IOC will accept an entry by the ROC only if the athlete’s IF is satisfied that the evidence provided meets conditions 2 and 3 above and if it is upheld by an expert from the CAS list of arbitrators appointed by an ICAS Member, independent from any sports organisation involved in the Olympic Games Rio 2016.

"5. The entry of any Russian athlete ultimately accepted by the IOC will be subject to a rigorous additional out-of-competition testing programme in coordination with the relevant IF and WADA. Any non-availability for this programme will lead to the immediate withdrawal of the accreditation by the IOC."

The IAAF - athletics' governing body - has already banned Russians from taking part after the uncovering of a huge doping programme and cover-up which has blighted the sport.

In a report which discovered that the doping programme went to the very heart of Russian sport and politics, WADA recommended that Russian competitors from all sports should have been banned from Rio.

But the IOC has stopped short of such a measure.

Russia's Sports Minister, Vitaly Mutko, said the decision cleared the way for Russian participation.

"I hope that the majority of international federations will very promptly confirm the right of (Russian) sportspeople in different types of sports to take part in the Olympic Games," Mutko said.

Russian athlete Iulia Stepanova helped to uncover the huge, systemic doping abuses in Russia and had hoped to complete on this basis at the Olympics as a neutral athlete.

However, her hopes have been dashed by the IOC's Ethics Commission, which highlighted the fact that she had been implicated in the doping process herself.

“While it is true that Mrs Stepanova’s testimony and public statements have made a contribution to the protection and promotion of clean athletes, fair play and the integrity and authenticity of sport, the Rules of the Olympic Charter related to the organisation of the Olympic Games run counter to the recognition of the status of neutral athlete. Furthermore, the sanction to which she was subject and the circumstances in which she denounced the doping practices which she had used herself, do not satisfy the ethical requirements for an athlete to enter the Olympic Games.”