Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend Rio Olympics
Thursday 4 August 2016 15:26, UK
Russian President Vladimir Putin is not planning to attend the Rio Olympics, his spokesman has confirmed.
A number of Russian athletes, including all but one of the track and field team, have been banned from competing over allegations of widespread doping.
Neither Putin, nor his chief of staff Sergei Ivanov, are due to travel to Brazil for the Games, and it is unclear if any members of the Russian cabinet will be in attendance.
"The president doesn't have this trip on his schedule. Nor does the presidential chief of staff," said presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Russia's boxing team will be in attendance, however, after they were given permission to compete on Thursday.
The country's weightlifters failed in their bid to compete when a Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected an appeal over a ban imposed by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) on Wednesday.
A similar appeal by Russia's rowing federation has also been dismissed, although two-time European and world champion Andrey Kraitor has been permitted to compete by the International Canoe Federation.
