An ongoing suspension of the Russian athletics team is "unlikely" to be overturned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in order to allow athletes to participate at Rio 2016, according to the body's vice-president John Coates.

Coates, seen as a close ally of IOC President Thomas Bach, said he would be "very, very surprised" if the IOC overturned the decision of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

"It's an International Federation's right to suspend a national federation and I don't think we would overturn that at all," he said.

The Australian, who has described the Russian testing system as "rotten to the core", also welcomed similar investigations now taking place within other sports.

This comes after the IAAF Council decided unanimously yesterday against lifting the ban due to a Russian failure to meet criteria required by the body's Task Force.

Only Russians who can prove they have been operating in an "effective testing system" will be permitted to compete as independent athletes - with this essentially meaning only those who have been based outside of the country.

The IOC have generally been seen as opposed to the suspension, partly due to provide all countries with a right to participate and partly in order to maintain their close political relations with Russia.

An Olympic Stakeholders Summit is due to be held in Lausanne on Tuesday (June 21) with the aim of finding a compromise between "collective responsibility and individual justice".

It will be chaired by Bach, with IAAF President Sebastian Coe and Russian Olympic Committee head Alexander Zhukov among those expected to attend.

Coates' words appear a strong indication that Bach - considered a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin - will support the IAAF decision.

A joint statement from Claudia Bokel and Beckie Scott, the respective chairs of the IOC and World Anti-Doping Agency Athletes' Commissions, have also welcomed the IAAF decision.

In what can be taken as an appeal to the IOC, they write: “Athletes of the world remain optimistic that the Olympic Games will continue to be a place of equality, justice and fair competition.

“A place where politics does not trump principle, and where those in power uphold the values central to the heart of the movement.”

"I'm very happy with it [the ban]," added Coates, who is also head of both the Australian Olympic Committee and the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"Where I would sit [would be] athletes should have to establish that they have had samples collected by an anti-doping authority outside of Russia and that they have been analysed outside of Russia and on a regular basis.

"Clearly any analysis or any collections in Russia would not mean anything."

This view, which was also outlined by IAAF Task Force chair Rune Andersen, effectively dismisses the argument espoused by countless sports administrators as well as Russian figures in recent weeks that "clean" Russian athletes should not be barred from competing.

Andersen claims that passing a test in a tainted system is not proof of an athlete truly being clean.

This raises questions of Russian athletes in other sports, with Coates referring to the claims reported in The Times yesterday that Russian anti-doping authorities had offered the All-Russian Swimming Federation the chance - which they refused - to pay money in return for avoiding doping tests.

"Overnight I've also read some allegations in respect of Russian swimming so FINA (International Swimming Federation) will no doubt be looking at that," he said.

"And I also anticipate that the international weightlifting federation will be taking a serious look at Russia and maybe some other former Soviet republics in respect of multiple positives coming out of the retesting."

Discussions are due to take place during an International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Executive Committee meeting next week over potentially denying quota places to Russia and other country's due to violating doping rules.

Bulgaria have already been banned from competing at Rio 2016 for this reason.

When asked of other world governing bodies should follow the IAAF lead, Coe said: "If we have helped in any way to create a template for other sports and the way the international response was organised, then I'm happy.

"But our jusgement today was taken in the best interests of global athletics."

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