New Olympic champion Jared Tallent says Russia’s athletics team should be banned from Rio Games

NEW Olympic champion Jared Tallent believes it will be a disgrace if Russia’s athletic team competes in Rio but another gold medallist fears for clean athletes caught in a dirty system.

Jared Tallent celebrates coming second in the 50km walk at the IAAF Race Walking Team Campionship in Rome last month.

NEW Olympic champion Jared Tallent believes it will be a disgrace if Russia’s athletic team competes in Rio but another gold medallist fears for clean athletes caught in a dirty system.

The disqualification of Russian drug cheat Sergey Kirdyapkin from the London Olympic Games 50km walk will see recently promoted Tallent receive his new Olympic gold medal at a ceremony in Melbourne on Friday.

By poignant coincidence it will be the day when the athletics world body, the IAAF, will vote on whether to allow the drug-tainted Russian team to compete at the Rio Olympic.

Russia has been banned from competing since November following revelations of systematic doping and cover-ups and the decision is one of the most significant in the history of Olympic sport and has prompted worldwide debate.

Glynis Nunn, a heptathlete gold medallist at the 1984 Olympics, favours letting Russia compete under forensic drug testing.

While not campaigning for a ban, beach volleyball gold medallist Natalie Cook said Russia “had been caught with their hands in the cookie jar one too many times’’ and had to expect to pay a severe price.

Tallent feels there is no issue. They should be banned.

“Unfortunately I think they will be there,’’ Tallent said on Fox Sports Back Page.

“I don’t think they should be. There is so much that needs to change and they have so little time.

“There is a coach in my event (Viktor Chegin) who has been banned for life and in a German documentary last week there was evidence he is still coaching.

“The guy who beat me in London could potentially be back in Rio if the Russian athletic team is allowed to compete. It would be a disgrace if they are there.’’

Nunn believes a ban may be too harsh.

“If they don’t let Russia compete they are making a point but not all athletes in Russia are drug cheats and that discriminates against the ones who are trying to do the right thing,’’ Nunn said.

“I would be happy to see them compete under really strict guidelines such as every Russian athlete had to report for a drug test. If they knew they were on drugs they would think twice about going because they would be caught.

“You look at teams from Kenya and Jamaica and there are different areas around the world who have also come under scrutiny as far as drug control.

“If I was a Russian athlete I would be kicking up a huge stink because I would know I was not on drugs. It’s really hard. It is such a broad attack on the country. I understand it but it would be hard to take as an athlete.’’

Though Tallent expects Russia to return for the Games, many don’t.

Some believe a ban would be a chest-puffing moment for the IAAF and allow its president Lord Coe to claim his body, despite repeated criticisms, are serious about cracking down on drug cheats.

Originally published as New Olympic champion Jared Tallent says Russia’s athletics team should be banned from Rio Games