Coe Says Politics Not Behind Russia Ban -- On the Scene

(ATR) The IAAF Council precedent setting decision to ban all Russian track and field athletes from competing under the nation’s flag at the Rio Games was met with wide-ranging views and opinions.

Athletics federation president Sebastian Coe spoke of the emotions involved with the 24-voting member council unanimous but painstaking decision on Friday at the Grand Hotel in Vienna.

"We’re all sitting there because we’re passionate about our sport. – this was a very sad day for anyone concerned," Coe said. "It was not an easy decision to make – whatever decision was made today was going to be a sad day for our sport."

Answering a question from a Russian television journalist, Coe affirmed: "Politics did not play a role in that room today."

"We discussed the report, but there was absolutely no opposing views," said council member Ahmad Al Kamali of the United Arab Emirates. "The general consensus is that we need to clean the sport and we must do whatever we need to do to do that."

IAAF Task Force chairman Rune Andersen emphasized to the standing room only of international media that Russia has "a deep rooted culture of doping..and to fix the problem you have to realize, accept and acknowledge that there is a problem" before you can make the necessary steps to move forward.

No one was more emotional than German television producer Hajo Seppelt, whose revealing documentaries have rocked Russian sport and ultimately led to the IAAF’s decision of Friday.

"I’m working 31 years in journalism and it was very emotional," a teary-eyed Seppelt told Around the Rings. "People tried to hinder us to do our work, they blamed us and did everything to prevent us from telling the truth."

Seppelt’s clandestine interviews with whistleblowers Vitaly and Yulia Stepanova exposing widespread state-sponsored Russian doping – initially seen in his first ARD television documentary in December 2014 – ignited the firestorm and led to the World Anti-Doping agency taking action.

"The best thing is not that we succeeded – it’s that Yulia Stepanova is allowed to compete in the Olympics," Seppelt said. "That is really justice."

Andersen advised that the IAAF Council has made a recommendation for Stepanova – a middle distance runner who has been banned due to positive tests – be allowed to compete in Rio for her courage in helping to expose the scandal.

"What she has done is a game-changer," Andersen said. "She has contributed to clean sport, she has contributed revealing something that has been going on in Russia and the Soviet Union for many years. We need people to come forward and reveal this information."

Russian Council Member & Pole Vaulter Isinbayeva React

Russian IAAF Council Member Mikhail Butov, who was present at the meeting in Vienna, but not allowed to vote, expressed his dismay with the decision.

"My main feeling is big disappointment – I can expect a decision against the federation, but I couldn’t accept decision against clean athletes," Butov told reporters.

"Our national Olympic committee will contact the IOC and IOC will make the decision with IAAF," Butov said regarding next measures before an IOC meeting of sports stakeholders on Tuesday in Lausanne.

"IAAF decided that we didn’t do enough – I’m sure that we are now in the position in my country that we are never coming back to the same mistakes in the past," said Butov, a former marketing director of the All-Russia Athletics Federation and bid leader for numerous international athletics events in Russia.

Butov said he could not predict how long it will take for Russian athletics to have their ban on international competition removed. However, he advised legal action over the next few months in the lead-up to Rio is likely.

"We are thinking about the protecting of all our clean athletes using all possible legal steps," Butov said. "We’ll analyze the decision with lawyers and we will support the possibility of Russian athletes competing in the Olympic Games.

Russian two-time Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva, who has never failed a drug test and has threatened to take the unwelcome decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, expressed her frustration.

"I’m disappointed and angry - I am offended, first on my personal behalf and on behalf of the team of clean athletes who are no longer in action," Isinbayeva told the Russian Tass news agency.

"I believed in their common sense especially with regards to selected members," she said of the IAAF Counsel. " I was hoping that they would look at the situation from the point of view of athletes and not managers."

Isinbayeva threatened: "This is a violation of human rights. I will not be silent. I will take measures."

Artem Kuznetsov of Russia’s Tass news agency offered his opinion on the ramifications of the decision for his country.

"After the IAAF taking the decision the [Russian] fans, people and others around the world will ask why weren’t [Clean] Russian athletes given the chance to compete," said Kuznetsov.

"The decision was expected, but now the Russian side will try to cooperate with the IOC to find a solution on how clean Russian athletes can compete in the Olympics," he said.

Andersen, asked if he can guarantee that no Russian athletes will be competing in Rio under their flag, said: "You can never guarantee when you are living in a world with lawyers and CAS."

Written by Brian Pinelli in Vienna, Austria.

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