International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach addresses a press conference of 129th IOC session in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Aug. 4, 2016. (Xinhua/Han Yuqing)
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach said on Thursday he made the decision on Russia doping with a clear conscience.
Bach made the remarks at the press conference one day before the opening of the Rio Olympic Games after the IOC decision not to give Russia a blanket ban on Russia from the Olympics in the wake of a report by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) that accused the country of state-sponsored doping.
"When you make such a difficult decision, you have to weight all the arguments. There are good arguments on either side. When you ponder about the arguments, in the end, you have to bring this upon yourself. It leaves to your decision," said the German.
"For me the guiding principle was when you took the decision you have to be able to look in the eyes of the athletes," he said. "I can tell you during my many many visits to the athletes' village here in Rio, I was able to look in the eyes of many athletes here."
Although the IOC was under huge pressure from WADA and over a dozen anti-doping organizations who called for a blanket ban, they asked international sports federations to decide which athletes can compete. Some 100 Russians have been barred from the Rio Games.
Bach, however, rejected the suggestion that the IOC is "helping" Russia.
"It was not a decision helping somebody here or somebody there. It is a decision of justice. Justice has to be blind," he said.
