Bleacher Report · Jul 29, 2016
Russian Weightlifting Team Banned from Rio Olympics: Latest Comments, Reaction
The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has banned Russian weightlifters from competing at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro—the latest in a long line of sanctions against the nation in the wake of a doping scandal.
Per Kevin Farley of Team USA's official website, the federation released a statement on Friday: "The integrity of the weightlifting sport has been seriously damaged on multiple times and levels by the Russians. Therefore an appropriate sanction was applied in order to preserve the status of the sport."
According to the report, the IWF will distribute the eight places reserved for Russian athletes elsewhere.