VOA常速英语:Russians Extremely Disappointed Over Olympics Ban

Russia inherited the importance and pride of Olympic glory from the Soviet Union, but World Athletics officials say it also passed down the sports legacy of using performance-enhancing drugs.

Russia will not be allowed to send an athletics team to the Rio Olymics after its efforts to clean up state-sponsored doping were deemed inadequate, says the sports governing body the IAAF.

“Although good progress has been made, the IAAF council was unanimous that …RUSAF had not met the reinstatement conditions and Russian athletes could not credibly return to international competition without undermining the confidence of their competitors and the public.”

Russia’s sports ministry called the decision "extremely disappointing" and said that the ministry had done everything possible to regain trust.

Russians in Moscow shared the disappointment.

“Of course this is not the best news, mainly for our athletes, but also for Russia on the whole. My opinion is that punishment should be personal.”

“Of course, for us, for Russians, it’s very sad, I think it’s nothing more than politics.”

But the world athletics body says Russia’s Athletics Federation (RUSAF) is still not taking the issue seriously enough.

“The deep-seated culture of tolerance, or worse, for doping that got RUSAF suspended in the first place appears not to have been changed materially to date.”

Russian officials deny any state-run doping and say only those caught cheating should be punished.

“Responsibility can be only individual, there cannot be a collective responsibility of all athletes, or athletes from a certain federation, if exact persons were caught.”

The IAAF says individual Russian athletes could still be allowed to compete at the Rio Olympics, but only if they have been tested outside Russia’s anti-doping system and not under the Russian flag.

Daniel Schearf, VOA NEWS, Moscow.