Russia has 271 athletes cleared for Olympics

A three-person panel set up by the IOC were given the final say on the fate of Russian competitors after individual sports federations and the Court of Arbitration for Sport also played a key part in the process following revelations of state-sponsored doping made in the McLaren report.

A week ago, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach had insisted that the body is obliged to preserve the human right of individual justice.

Russia will have 271 athletes competing at the Rio Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed on Thursday.

Many sportsmen and women were still waiting to discover if they were able to take part in Brazil on the eve of the Games, which get underway on Friday.

A three-person panel set up by the IOC were given the final say on the fate of Russian competitors after individual sports federations and the Court of Arbitration for Sport also played a key part in the process following revelations of state-sponsored doping made in the McLaren report.

It was later confirmed that 271 of the 389 athletes originally entered by the Russian National Olympic Committee (ROC) were cleared.

"The Review Panel based its review on the International Federations' decisions in relation to the entry of each individual athlete in their corresponding sport, which took into account only reliable adequate international tests, and the specificities of the athlete's sport and its rules, in order to ensure a level playing field," a statement read.

"The Review Panel subsequently reviewed the position of the independent arbitrator appointed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in relation to the evidence provided to meet those criteria."