The European Olympic Committees (EOC) completely supports today’s decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to enable the participation of clean Russian athletes at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, just days away.

The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) is a valued member of the EOC. The EOC was pleased to note that the McLaren report did not implicate the ROC as an institution, and this was clearly a key consideration in today’s IOC Executive Board decision.

Today’s decision is not the end of the affair, however. There is still much work to be done. The ROC’s commitment to ensuring Russia fields teams of clean athletes now and in the future is welcome. The EOC stands ready to provide the ROC with every assistance in this regard, with EOC members already at the forefront of the fight for clean sport. 

The EOC also stands ready to continue its full support for the IOC’s initiatives to protect clean athletes everywhere. We join the IOC in calling for and working towards an improved worldwide anti-doping system.