Russia organizes its own tournament for banned Olympic athletes

Russia will organize its own competition for athletes banned from the Olympics.
(Image credit: NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/Getty Images)

Russia is saying "your loss" to the International Olympic Committee by hosting its own tournament in Moscow for athletes banned from competing in track and field at this summer's Rio Olympics. "About 135 track and field athletes are going to compete. They include Olympic champions and medal-holders as well as less renowned athletes forbidden to compete in Rio," Yuri Borzakovsky, the head coach of the Russian athletics squad, told Russia's TASS news agency.

Athletes will include "Sergei Shubenkov, incumbent world champion in the 110-meter race; high jumpers Maria Kuchina, Olympic Champion Ivan Ukhov, and Daniil Tsyplakov; javelin throwers Dmitry Tarabin and Vera Rebrik; [and] triple jumper Yekaterina Koneva," TASS reported.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.