Russian cyclist Olga Zabelinskaya (Ольга Забелинская) has decided to accept a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) sanction for doping so that she can compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Under the ‘pre-trial’ agreement,  Zabelinskaya (pictured) has agreed not to contest the presence of a prohibited substance in her body in return for an 18-month ban, backdated to June 2014. The acceptance will allow her to resume training immediately.

In December 2015, the UCI decided to appeal a Russian cycling federation (RCF) decision to clear Zabelinskaya to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Although her positive test for octopamine dates back to March 2014, it was reported that disagreements over jurisdiction caused delays, and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) only directed the RCF to deal with the case in December 2015.

Zabelinskaya, 35, said that contesting the UCI’s appeal would have meant the end of her career and would have prevented her from competing at the Rio Olympics. “I want to emphasise that this agreement is, for me, a necessary measure”, she said in a RCF statement. “I had a very clear choice. Either to continue to defend my honour and challenge the UCI decision – which would be tantamount to the completion of my career, because legal and expert procedures could drag on for many months – or to conclude an agreement and to immediately start training in order to be selected for the Russian team at the Olympics in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. I chose the latter, as this is not only about me, but about the interests of Russian cycling.” Zabelinskaya took bronze in the London 2012 Olympics road race and time trial.