“We can’t accept indiscriminate disqualification of our athletes with an absolutely clean doping history,” Putin told an audience in Red Square that included banned athletes. But his personal letter to Coe received short shrift, with the IAAF saying in a statement Wednesday: “We received a letter from Minister Mutko yesterday requesting a review of Russian athletes. Clearly, the absence of Russian athletes, who were leaders in some of the sports, will affect the competition.”Putin spoke while standing alongside two-time Olympic pole-vaulting champion Yelena Isinbayeva, the most high-profile of the 67 track-and-field athletes expelled from the Games. LONDON — Vladimir Putin condemned the expulsion of all but one member of Russia’s athletics team from the Olympics as “pure discrimination” Wednesday as the country continued to rail against being found guilty of state-sponsored doping. We have responded to the minister explaining the IAAF’s eligibility rules have been upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Source: National Post July 28, 2016 16:07 UTC