Russian Olympic Committee Will Appeal Track Team's Doping Ban

The Russian Olympic Commitee will "legally challenge" the IAAF's suspension of its track & field team from the Rio Games at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Individual athletes will also appeal to CAS (TWITTER.com, 6/21). IOC President Thomas Bach this morning confirmed his organization's support for the IAAF's suspension of the Russian team (TWITTER.com, 6/21).

Meanwhile, WADA President Craig Reedie yesterday "fired back at critics who say the organization hasn’t done enough to fight doping and is too closely tied" to the IOC. Reedie: "I’m not sure that we are as bad as some people say that we are. I think the organization is effective and does good work." WADA has been "reeling from a series of allegations about widespread doping in sports" (GLOBE & MAIL, 6/21). A U.S. Senator yesterday sent a seven-page letter to WADA questioning the amount of time it took for the agency to investigate claims of a state-run Russian doping program (THE DAILY).