The international sports tribunal today rejected an appeal by Russian athletes against a Rio Olympics ban amid mounting pressure for action over state-run doping in Russia.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling on track and field is seen as a key indicator as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) debates whether to order a blanket ban on Russia from the Rio Games that start August 5.
The IOC executive is to hold more talks on Sunday and a decision on a ban could be announced after, an Olympic spokesperson said.
The heads of international federations for the sports in Rio held their own talks on Thursday.
Russia reacted angrily however. It is a sporting powerhouse whose absence from Rio would create the biggest crisis in decades for the Olympic movement.
But there have been widespread calls for exemplary sanctions against the state-orchestrated campaign.
"This will scare a lot of people, or send a strong message that the sport is serious about cleaning up," six-time Olympic sprint title winner Usain Bolt of Jamaica said of the CAS ruling.
Russia's Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko called the CAS ruling "politicised" and illegal however.
CAS said it had unanimously "dismissed" an appeal by the Russian Olympic Committee and 67 athletes against an International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) ban.
- Athletics 'funeral' - ======================= The 67 included two time Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva and world champion men's 110m hurdler Sergey Shubenkov.
The IAAF ban covers all international competition and follows an investigation by the World Anti-Doping Agency last year which found widespread "state-sponsored" doping.
Isinbayeva slammed the CAS ruling as a "funeral for athletics" and "a blatant political order." The Kremlin expressed "deep regret" over the decision and said it had "no legal basis." Russia has denied any state involvement in the doping crisis.
Originally, 68 Russians had appealed against the IAAF ban but the governing body has cleared US-based long jumper Darya Klishina to compete in Rio.
An IOC ethics commission is to rule on the case of Yuliya Stepanova, an 800m runner who turned whistleblower on the doping.
The IAAF welcomed the CAS tribunal ruling.
"Today's judgement has created a level playing field for athletes," said an IAAF statement.
"The CAS award upholds the rights of the IAAF to use its rules for the protection of the sport (and) to protect clean athletes.
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