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Russian volleyball teams cleared to compete in Olympics

FIVB World Grand Prix 2016 - Group 1 Final - Day 3

BANGKOK, THAILAND - JULY 08: Nataliya Goncharova of Russia hits the ball during day three of the FIVB World Grand Prix Group 1 Final on July 8, 2016 in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo by Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images for FIVB)

Getty Images for FIVB

The defending gold medal winners are back for men’s volleyball.

The Russian volleyball teams have all been cleared to compete in Rio, as expected, after receiving the go-ahead from the International Olympic Committee.

It wasn’t cut-and-dried that Russia would be allowed to pass its beach and indoor teams into the tournament, thanks to a positive test for one of its players as recently as January.

From NBCOlympics.com:

Earlier this year, the meldonium doping scandal extended to Russian volleyball. Outside hitter Alexander Markin tested positive for the substance in January. Markin was temporarily suspended while FIVB considered the case. It found that Markin “committed an anti-doping rule violation but bore no fault or negligence in this case” and reinstated him.

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