Russian athletes banned from Rio to compete in Moscow

Russian state news agency TASS reports that there will be an athletics competition in Moscow on Thursday for athletes banned from the Rio Olympic Games.

All but one member of Russia's track and field team have been excluded from the Games by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in response to findings of state-sponsored doping.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld that decision last week and the IAAF told Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko on Wednesday there were "no grounds for further review" of the decision.

Russia's president Vladimir Putin has attacked the decision to ban the athletes, saying Russia was a victim of "pure discrimination".

And it has now been announced that the banned athletes will take part in a Stars-2016 tournament at the Znamensky Brothers stadium on the outskirts of Moscow on Thursday July 28.

However, Russia's best-known athlete, pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva, will not participate.

Yuri Borzakovsky, the head coach of the Russian athletics squad, told TASS: "About 135 track and field athletes are going to compete.

"They include Olympic champions and medal holders, as well as less renowned athletes forbidden to compete in Rio.

"Pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva will not compete. She has decided to have a rest after such a hard season."

Ivan Ukhov, who won high jump gold at London 2012, and Sergei Shubenkov, the 2015 world champion at 110m hurdles, will compete.