Russia sends 68 Athletes to CAS

The Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) will appeal the bans of 68 athletes who were not permitted to participate in the Olympic Games.

These cases will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

CAS has agreed to an expedited procedure that should conclude on July 21, although as they told iSportconnect - they will sit in Rio to hear urgent cases.

The most well known athletes include two-time Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva, world 110-metre hurdles champion Sergei Shubenkov, and Olympic high jump gold medallist Ivan Ukhov.

Controversially one of the athletes named has already served a doping ban - former world indoor champion Yekaterina Koneva.

The IAAF put a blanket ban on all Russian athletes, saying the systematic failure of Russian anti-doping procedures had comprised all its athletes.

The IOC confirmed that decision, saying there could be no presumption of innocence - athletes would have to prove they had undergone anti-doping procedures in a compliant country.

Yuliya Stepanova was the only exception, who will participate as a neutral athlete because of her 'truly exceptional contribution' to the protection and promotion of clean athletes, fair play and the integrity and authenticity of the sport.