Putin Supports Banned Russian Athletes, Holds Own 'Olympics'

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hosted 'Stars 2016' in Moscow as a kind of consolation prize for the 100 track and field athletes banned from the Rio Olympic Games due to accusations of being part of a state-supported doping system.

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The tournament was held on Thursday at the Znamensky Brothers Stadium, with the participation of about 135 athletes, including those banned from Rio. 

Russia had a 387-member team for Rio 2016, however this scandal has reduced its delegation dramatically, prompting President Putin to say that the absence of his country’s high-performance athletes will "lower the intensity of the fight" and thus the "spectacle at the upcoming events."

The president of Russia’s Olympic Committee Aleksandr Zhukov confirmed on Friday that at least 270 Russian athletes have been given the green light to participate in the competition, which start on August 5.

The accusations of creating "a state-supported doping system" have been rejected by Russian authorities, who say that Russian athletes are being denied the opportunity to represent their country in Rio.