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IOC decides against full ban on Russian athletes

Posted at 10:15 AM, Jul 24, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-24 10:15:25-04

 LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- The Latest from the IOC meeting on Russia's participation at the Rio Games 
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3:55 p.m.

The IOC has decided against a complete ban on Russian athletes from the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The International Olympic Committee says it is leaving it up to global federations to decide which Russian athletes to accept in their sports.

The IOC says it will deny entry of Russian athletes who do not meet the requirements set out for the federations.

The IOC says the federations have the authority, under their own rules, to exclude Russian teams as a whole from their sports.
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2:20 p.m.

Several Russian TV networks are joined by news crews for broadcasters from around the globe awaiting the IOC decision.

Around 25 media are gathered at the front door of the IOC's temporary premises in Lausanne, about 400 meters from the Olympic Museum.

Most are focused on finding shade from the 25-degree (77 Fahrenheit) sunshine as the IOC's president, Thomas Bach, leads a conference call of his executive board. It will consider a ban on Russian athletes from the Rio de Janeiro Games that open in 12 days' time.

Bach is not expected to meet with reporters after the meeting.

Russian broadcasters expect IOC member Alexander Zhukov to emerge to update TV crews.

Reporters from Brazilian, Chinese and Japanese broadcasters are among the group.
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12:59 p.m.

Russia is waiting to find out whether its entire team will be excluded from next month's Olympics over the country's doping scandal.

Russia has already been handed a doping punishment when its track and field team lost an appeal against a ban on Thursday.

Earlier interim IOC measures announced Tuesday included urging winter sports federations to move their competitions out of Russia this season, in response to allegations that Russian state officials hid hundreds of failed drug tests over several years and swapped samples from doped athletes for clean ones during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Russia has admitted some doping violations by its athletes and coaches, but still denies that the government was involved. State media has painted the issue as a U.S.-led political vendetta.
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12:37 p.m.

Olympic leaders are meeting to consider whether to impose a total ban on Russian athletes from the Rio de Janeiro Games because of state-sponsored doping.

The International Olympic Committee's ruling executive board is meeting Sunday via teleconference to decide on sanctions following new allegations of a government-backed doping program involving Russian athletes in summer and winter sports.

Russia's track and field athletes have already been banned by the IAAF, the sport's governing body, a decision that was upheld Thursday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The World Anti-Doping agency and other anti-doping bodies have recommended a ban on Russia's entire team.

The IOC has said it would seek a balance between "collective punishment" and "individual justice."

Short of a complete ban, the IOC could let individual sports federations decide whether to allow Russian athletes in their events.