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Mo Farah on IOC doping decision on Russia for Rio Olympics

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Mo Farah says he feels sorry for Russia's clean athletes but accepts a message needs to be sent to stop doping in athletics

Mo Farah says he "feels bad" for any Russian athletes who are 'clean' of doping as the IOC considers their Rio Olympics fate.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will shortly decide on whether to enforce a total ban on Russia's athletes at the forthcoming Games in Brazil.

Russia's track-and-field athletes have already been banned by the sport's world governing body - the IAAF - a decision backed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

This sanction was originally imposed following a damning World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report into widespread doping in Russian track and field athletics.

I feel bad for the athletes who haven't done anything or crossed the line but all I want to do is line up against fair athletes.
Mo Farah

And with the Rio Olympics taking place in August, the IOC have the final word on whether Russia's athletes will be able to compete in track and field.

Speaking ahead of the Anniversary Games in London this weekend, double Olympic champion Farah said: "We have tight rules and I hope we follow those rules and hope we do what's best for our sport.

"You don't want to see anything negative in our sport. The rest of us work so hard but if something happens, it takes away from us all.

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"I feel bad for the athletes who haven't done anything or crossed the line but all I want to do is line up against fair athletes."

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