BERLIN – Russia’s sports minister is arguing in an interview with a German magazine that his country’s athletes have a “moral right” to take part in the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The IAAF council is expected to rule on the fate of Russian athletes in mid-June. Russia is banned from international track and field after its athletics federation was suspended by the IAAF in November following allegations of state-sponsored and systematic doping made by a World Anti-Doping Agency panel.
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Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko was quoted Saturday as telling the German weekly Der Spiegel that Russia has “done everything” to be reinstated. He said: “Our athletes have the moral right to be in Rio.”
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Asked whether the entire Russian team would boycott the Olympics if athletes are excluded, he replied: “No.”