The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, says that Russian track and field athletes are victims of "discrimination" and that the country is "not going to put up with."

Putin was addressing athletes at the Kremlin before the Russian Olympic team was due to fly out to Rio de Janeiro for the Olympics on Thursday, while dozens of the track and field athletes who are not eligible to compete in the Rio Games also attended.

Those barred from competing, Putin says, are victims of “double standards” and a campaign against Russian sports.

The two-time Olympic champion pole vaulter, Yelena Isinbayeva, and the European hurdles champion, Sergei Shubenkov, were among those in attendance not eligible for Rio.

Continuing his address, Putin told his audience: “your colleagues from other sports powers realise that the value of their medals will be different,” because “this victory will have a different taste - or no taste at all.”

(Guardian service)