Vladimir Putin: Russian athletes 'unfairly' targeted by doping authorities

Russian President Vladimir Putin proclaimed that his country’s track and field athletes are victims of "discrimination" as doping authorities have “unfairly” targeted Russian athletes.

Putin’s remarks were made in an address to 100 Russian athletes in Moscow on Wednesday, days before the start of the Rio Olympics. Russia’s track and field team was banned from the Summer Games outright and several other athletes from the country have been barred from the competition in the wake of investigations by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

"We can't accept indiscriminate disqualification of our athletes with an absolutely clean doping history," Putin said. "We cannot and will not accept what in fact is pure discrimination."

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Several barred athletes attended Putin’s address at the Kremlin, including two-time Olympic champion pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva and European hurdles champion Sergei Shubenkov. Fighting back tears, Isinbayeva told Rio-bound Russian athletes: "Show them what you're able to do — for yourself and for us too."

As the athletes walked across Red Square to meet Putin, some posed for selfies with Vitality Mutko, whose sports ministry was accused by WADA of orchestrating the doping program.

The IAAF is the only sport to impose a near-blanket ban on Russians, only deeming one — long jumper Darya Klishina — eligible for Rio.

"The situation went beyond the legal field as well as common sense," Putin said. It's a well-planned campaign which targeted our athletes, which included double-standards and the concept of collective punishment which has nothing to do with justice or even basic legal norms."

Putin said the loss of the 67 athletes from Russia’s track and field team along with the other announced bans diminishes the worth of the medals in Rio.

“Your colleagues from other sports powers realize that the value of their medals will be different,” Putin said (per RT.com). “Victory will have a different taste —or no taste at all."

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An investigation released last year by WADA claimed Russia ran what amounted to state-sanctioned doping for its track and field athletes. Another WADA investigation, this one released earlier this month, alleged Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) swapped out samples during the 2014 Sochi Olympics to protect Russian athletes from doping violations as part of a cover-up that ran for years to shield athletes from 29 Olympic sports.

Putin said Russia would hold those responsible and backs a system to fight doping.

Contributing: The Associated Press