With the doping controversy surrounding Russia’s national team entering the Rio Olympics, it was anyone’s guess who all would be allowed to compete when the games officially begin Friday. Thursday it was announced by the Russian Olympic Committee that 271 athletes have been approved for competition by a panel appointed by the International Olympic Committee to scrutinize past testing history of each athlete. That number is 118 fewer than Russia’s original list of competitors, and they’ll have fewer athletes in Rio than 11 other countries.
Four years ago Russia took 436 athletes to London according to the New York Times, with the nation winning a total of 82 medals.