Rio 2016: Every Russian athlete except Darya Klishina and Yuliya Stepanova rejected from competing at Olympics
136 athletes had applied for 'exceptional eligibility' following Russian athletics federation ban
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Your support makes all the difference.The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has rejected every Russian athlete except Darya Klishina and Yuliya Stepanova from participating in international competitions.
Alexandra Brilliantova, head of the legal department at the Russian Olympic Committee, said Ms Klishina, the Russian long jumper, who trains outside Russia, had been cleared to compete as a "neutral" athlete at the Rio Olympics.
Earlier in the year, Yuliya Stepanova, an 800m runner has also been accepted by IAAF, but still awaits IOC approval and an ethics committee before her place is confirmed.
But none of the country’s 136 other athletes that applied for “exceptional eligibility” were accepted, following the Russian athletics federation’s ban from international competition. Two-time Olympic gold medalist pole vaulter Yelena Isinbaeva is among those turned away.
Earlier this week, Russia named a 68-strong athletics team for the Olympics, despite the ban, which followed allegations of state-led doping.
Ms Brilliantova told news agency TASS: "The refusals were received by everyone, except for Klishina.
"Exactly these refusals and the reasons for those the Russian Olympic Committee and 68 athletes in their claim to CAS will be arguing.
“All 68 people have filed claims, including referring to refusals of the kind."
Ms Klishina said in a post on her official Facebook page she was "really happy" with the IAAF's decision.
She added: "I appreciate every effort of IMG Academy and its staff to create the best possible, safe and clean environment for me."
The Russian Olympic Committee has appealed the suspension to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, with a final decision due by 21 July.
Kenyan doctors were caught on camera claiming to have supplied British athletes with performance-enhancing drugs, it was revealed on Sunday.
The medics were arrested last week after suggesting they had treated Kenyan and British athletes among others with erythropoietin (EPO), a hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells.
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