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ITF Releases Statement Regarding Decision of IOC Executive Board

Jul 24th 2016
ITF

The findings in the McLaren report that describe systematic and widespread doping in Russia are of great concern to everyone involved in sport, including the International Tennis Federation (ITF). Nonetheless, the ITF welcomes the decision of the IOC to permit clean athletes to compete in Rio 2016 and to let each International Federation determine the eligibility of its respective Russian athletes. The seven Russian tennis players who have been nominated to compete in Rio have been subject to a rigorous anti-doping testing programme outside Russia, which included:

·         A total of 205 samples collected since 2014, of which;

·         83 (40%) were collected In-Competition and 122 (60%) Out-of-Competition;

·         111 (54%) were urine samples and 94 (45%) were blood samples.

The ITF believes that this is sufficient for the seven Russian tennis players to meet the relevant requirement of today’s decision of the IOC Executive Board. The ITF will also be seeking confirmation from WADA that none of those players, or the Russian Tennis Federation, were implicated in the McLaren report, in accordance with the IOC decision. The ITF believes it is right that clean athletes are permitted to compete in Rio 2016 and looks forward to welcoming the Russian tennis players, along with all other nominated athletes, to Rio.