Russia’s ban from Olympic track and field means some of the sport’s most successful athletes are, at least for now, not eligible for the Rio Games.
The IAAF left “a very tiny crack in the door” for athletes to apply to compete in Rio independently, should they prove to have been subjected to reliable drug testing outside of the Russian regime.
Until then, here are five Russian Olympic or World champions who are not currently eligible for Rio:
Yelena Isinbayeva, Pole Vault
Olympic champion in 2004, 2008
World champion in 2005, 2007, 2013
World-record holder
Isinbayeva, a 34-year-old converted youth gymnast, is the greatest female pole vaulter of all time and one of the greatest athletes in Russian history across all sports.