68 Russian track and field athletes won't be able to compete in the Rio Olympics

Russia lost its appeal against its Olympics ban.

The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) issued its final decision in the dispute between Russia and the governing body of world athletics, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), over the athletes' participation in the Rio Olympic Games.

CAS's secretary-general Matthieu Reeb announced the decision on Thursday morning that 68 Russian track and field athletes won't be able to compete in this year's Olympic games in Rio, Brazil.

The IAAF had banned the athletes in November 2015 from competing after repeated allegations of doping and state-sponsored cover-ups.

The head coach of the Russian synchronized swimming team, Tatyana Pokrovskaya, told Reuters she is concerned the ban might be extended to other sportspeople:

"Of course, we are anxious, and as the Games approach we feel more and more anxious. We have no doubt that we should take part in the Olympics, because doping is an irrelevant word for us, we only hear it at a distance. That's why everyone who is clean from doping should go and take part in the Olympics. All sportspeople without exception and we hope for it," Pokrovskaya said.