Russia will not boycott Rio Olympics over doping ban

Russia will not boycott the Rio Olympics after being suspended from the International Association of Athletics Federations over a doping scandal, RIA news agency cited Russian Olympic Committee head Alexander Zhukov as saying on Monday.

Russia said it would ask the world athletics body to allow its athletes to compete under an Olympic banner rather than the Russian flag to circumvent a ban, but the idea was quickly brushed aside by the International Olympic Committee.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) suspended the Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) on Friday following allegations of widespread and state-sponsored doping.

Russia has since announced a three-month road map to clean up its act, with the nation's Olympic Committee leading efforts to ensure honest athletes can compete at the 2016 Olympics.