Russia remain banned from international competition ahead of Olympic Games

Video report by ITV News Sports Correspondent Ian Payne.

The governing body of world athletics has upheld a ban on Russia competing at international level.

The suspension comes just two months before the start of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The Council of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) met in Vienna on Friday, and decided Russia's ban - first imposed in November and extended in March - will remain in place.

IAAF doping expert Rune Andersen said no athlete will compete at the Rio Olympics under a Russian flag, but opened the door for some Russian athletes to compete under a neutral IOC banner on appeal.

The change will mean some athletes, such as Russian whistle-blower Yulia Stepanova, could compete in Brazil as an independent athlete.

Chief of the United States Olympic Committee, Scott Blackmun, said Friday's ruling gives hope to clean athletes and "there are consequences" for those who cheat.

A damning report in 2015 - published by an independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) - found evidence Russia were conducting wide-spread state-sponsored doping.

The IAAF voted 22-1 in favour of the initial ban in November 2015.

Secretary of Russian Athletics, Mikhail Butov, said they might appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport over the IAAF's decision to uphold the ban on its athletes.

The former Russian Athletics Federation's president Valentin Balakhnichev resigned in December following publication of the WADA report.

Russia's President, Vladimir Putin, had earlier denied reports the Russian government was involved in running doping programs for athletes.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) are meeting in Lausanne on Tuesday to confirm whether Russia will be banned from competing at the Rio Olympics in August.