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2 Russian athletes launch appeals of Rio ban

MOSCOW (AP) — Two Russian athletes said Sunday they have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to overturn the IAAF's ban on the Russian team competing in Olympic track and field.

The IAAF, track and field's world governing body, on Friday upheld a suspension of the Russian team imposed in November after a World Anti-Doping Agency report detailed widespread, state-sponsored doping.

Race walkers Denis Nizhegorodov and Svetlana Vasilyeva argue that a ban of the entire team is unfair punishment.

Nizhegorodov, an Olympic silver medalist in 2004, says "competing at the Olympics is the main goal and main honor.