International Olympic Committee approves 271 Russian athletes for Rio 2016

A total of 271 Russian athletes will compete at Rio 2016 following a ruling by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Russian Olympic chief Alexander Zhukov has told a news conference the country will compete in the majority of events at the games.

He added that no other country had undergone as much scrutiny as Russia in the run up to the competition.

Today the sporting body confirmed the whole Russian synchronised swimming team will be allowed to participate in the Games.

However, Vladimir Morozov, Nikita Lobintsev and Yulia Efimova will not be permitted to compete, the R-Sport news agency reported.

Morozov and Lobintsev were part of Russia's bronze medal-winning 4x100m freestyle team at the London 2012 Games, while Efimova is a four-times breaststroke world champion.

Lobintsev also won a silver medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay at Beijing 2008.

The IOC also approved on Thursday:

  • Russian golfer Maria Verchenova

  • Russian canoeist Andrey Kraitor

  • Eight Russian tennis players

  • Eleven Russian judo athletes

  • Eighteen Russian shooters

  • The entire Russian female water polo team

Russia's Alexander Mikhaylin (L) competing in the men's +100kg semi-final judo match at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Credit: Reuters

The International Judo Federation (IJF) said in a statement: "The IJF is very pleased that all Russian judoka qualified for the Olympic Games, tested many times before the Games and, clean, will attend the judo event in Rio."

The IOC refused to impose a blanket ban on Russian athletes competing in Rio 2016 despite a damning 2015 report published by an independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency, which found evidence Russia conducted wide-spread state-sponsored doping.