Vladimir Morozov And Nikita Lobintsev Yet To Be Cleared For Rio

 

Swimming's governing body FINA says Russians Vladimir Morozov and Nikita Lobintsev have yet to be cleared to compete in the Olympics, contrary to reports in Russia. The swimming federation issued a statement saying that both swimmers were implicated in the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) independent report that found evidence of a state-backed system of covering up doping in Russia.

They were among seven Russian swimmers excluded from the Rio Games, which start on Friday, and took their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. FINA said that CAS had forwarded its recommendations to the three-person International Olympic Committee commission to review Russian entrants, and their status would not be confirmed until that IOC panel rules.

Contrary to recent media reports, the eligibility of Russian swimmers Vladimir Morozov and Nikita Lobintsev to compete at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 has not been confirmed, and will not be confirmed until the IOC's three-person commission to review Russian entrants renders its final decision on these athletes, along with the other members of the Russian swimming team.

A FINA statement said “The FINA Bureau initially did not include Morozov and Lobintsev on the list of eligible competitors, in respect of the IOC's ruling that nobody implicated in the WADA IP Report may be accredited for entry in the Olympic Games. Both athletes were named in the WADA IP Report. The two athletes filled an appeal to CAS and FINA understands that this Court has forwarded the case to the IOC three-person commission for final decision.”