Russian long jumper Klishina cleared to compete at Olympics
July 10, 2016
Athletics' world governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) - which has suspended the Russian track and field team over state-sponsored doping - said on Sunday it had given the greenlight for Klishina to compete as a neutral.
"The IAAF Doping Review Board has today agreed that Russian long jump athlete Darya Klishina meets the exceptional eligibility criteria to compete in international competition as a neutral athlete," the IAAF said in a statement.
However, the International Olympic Committe (IOC) still needs to give its approval for her to compete in Rio.
"Rejections have come for everyone, except for Klishina," Alexandra Brilliantova, the head of the Olympic Committee's legal department, told state-run TASS news agency.
Among those rejected were gold medallist pole vaulter Isinbayeva and world champion hurdler Sergey Shubenkov.
The IAAF left the door ajar to some Russian competitors not tainted by doping to compete as neutrals in Rio. The Court of Arbitrations for Sport (CAS) will decide whether to overturn the ban by July 21, two weeks before the start of the Rio Games.
Whistleblower approved
The IAAF has already approved an application from Russian athlete and doping whistleblower Yulia Stepanova to return to competition as a neutral.
Stepanova, an 800-meter runner who served a two-year doping ban, helped expose the widespread cheating in Russia that led the IAAF to ban the country's track and field athletes from global competition, including the Olympics. Stepanova lives and trains in the US, and competed in the recent European Championships following her ban.
The IOC said on Thursday that its ethics committee would study Stepanova's possible inclusion at the Rio Games.
The Olympic track and field competition starts on August 12.
jbh/tj (AFP, Reuters, AP)