Thomas Bach admits IOC lacks power to ban Russia from Rio 2016

Thomas Bach does not believe the IOC has the power to ban Russia from Rio 2016

The prospect of Russia being banned from next year's Olympic Games in Rio appears to have receded, after IOC president Thomas Bach admitted the organisation lacked the power to ban the country.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)'s independent commission has called on Russia to be barred from the Games but Bach said the IOC had "no authority" to do so and that any such decision must come from the IAAF, athletics' world governing body.

Bach, speaking to several media in Lausannne, added: "The IAAF has informed us they will take the necessary measures.

"I am very positive that these measures will go in the right direction. That means to protect clean athletes."

Russia looks likely to be handed a provisional suspension by the IAAF's ruling council on Friday ahead of a formal disciplinary hearing following revelations of systemic doping in the country.

But its sport minister has gone on the offensive, claiming Britain's anti-doping system was "even worse than ours" if it failed to catch cheats at the London 2012 Olympics.

Vitaly Mutko, who was described by WADA commission chairman Dick Pound of being "complicit" in the scandal, said Britain's anti-doping system must be worth "zero" if it failed to catch six Russian athletes with previous suspicious test results whom the WADA report said competed in London.

He told Russia's Interfax news agency: "If you're accusing our athletes today, then I'm afraid your system [Britain's] is zero and worse than ours."

It is understood that IAAF president Lord Coe wants to have the disciplinary process completed within a month.

A provisional suspension would see Russians excluded from international athletics competition, including events such as the London marathon. The suspension would have to be confirmed by a disciplinary panel which could see the country banned until it can prove its anti-doping programme is working properly.

Russia could also be stripped of two IAAF events next year: the world junior championships in Kazan in July and the world race walking team championships planned for Cheboksary in May.