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Russian long jumper cleared to compete in Rio

August 15, 2016

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has allowed Russia's lone track and field athlete, to compete at the Rio Games. Long jumper Darya Klishina, previously barred, will be allowed to compete based on a technicality.

https://p.dw.com/p/1JiHu
Russland Darya Klishina
Image: picture alliance/dpa/C. Charisius

The court said Monday it had upheld an appeal against a ban against Klishina who had argued she should be allowed to compete because she resides outside of Russia and has undergone rigorous drug testing.

"The athlete established that she was subject to fully compliant drug testing, in and out of competition, outside of Russia," CAS said in a statement.

A report last month from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) revealed widespread and state-sponsored doping in Russia. The country escaped a blanket ban despite the grave allegations, but athletes had to meet strict criteria to compete in Brazil, with some 280 of them now at the Olympics.

The 25-year-old Russian long jumper and professional model is a permanent resident of the United States.

Vitaly Mutko
Russia's Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, who is barred from Rio because of the doping controversy, called the IAAF ban 'inhuman'Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/P. Golovkin

Moscow upset over ban

Klishina had been the only one of 68 Russians cleared to participate in Rio by the IAAF. But the sport's governing body tried to ban her from the Olympics last week after receiving what it said was new information from World Anti-Doping Agency investigator Richard McLaren.

The IAAF didn't disclose the nature of that information.

Klishina was reportedly sighted on the warm-up track at Rio's Olympic Stadium on Sunday, prompting speculation she would still be able to compete under the Russian flag.

Qualifying for the women's long jump begins Tuesday.

jar/se (Reuters, AP)