The IOC made two deeply unpopular decisions on Russia’s Olympic participation today

How?

The International Olympic Committee made two perplexing decisions on Sunday. First, in the wake of the World Anti-Doping Agency revelations that Russia systematically sponsored state doping, the IOC decided against imposing a blanket ban on Russian athletes competing at the Rio Olympics. The IOC ruled that individual sporting governing bodies should instead make the call on Russian athlete's participation at the games, due to begin on August 5. Unsurprisingly, the decision was not welcomed. https://twitter.com/owen_g/status/757237338590351361 https://twitter.com/stevemagness/status/757220582605717505 https://twitter.com/danroan/status/757234651803025408 https://twitter.com/benbloomsport/status/757216867274588161 https://twitter.com/sportingintel/status/757231351473004545 https://twitter.com/georgiebingham/status/757225655293673472 However, the IOC weren't done yet, and decided that a Russian athlete, who acted as a whistle-blower on doping in the country's athletics, wouldn't be allowed compete at the games. Yuliya Stepanova, a 800m runner, had hoped to compete at Rio under a neutral flag, having refused to run for Russia, but the IOC ethics committee ruled that:

"The sanction to which she was subject and the circumstances in which she denounced the doping practices which she had used herself, do not satisfy the ethical requirements for an athlete to enter the Olympic Games."

However, her and her husband have been invited to attend the games. Again, the IOC's decision was met with scorn and derision. https://twitter.com/seaningle/status/757216894344626176 https://twitter.com/usantidoping/status/757239692043563008 https://twitter.com/mjshrimper/status/757216173851308032 https://twitter.com/StephJenzer/status/757219429537185792 https://twitter.com/Bonnie_D_Ford/status/757218736944349184