UrBC, Yekaterinburg, June 30, 2016. Sputnik Sports Club’s junior team performed at the national track-and-field championship in Cheboksary, the club’s sponsor Ural Vagon Zavod Corporation reports.

The ten sportsmen and women took part in the competition as part of Sverdlovsk Region team. This is, in fact, a difficult time for the athletes.

‘It was decided shortly before the championship that the All-Russia Athletic Federation (RusAthletics) would not be allowed to compete internationally. Nevertheless, all our sports players did their best to win the right to go to Rio de Janeiro Olympics,’ the corporation’s press service says.

Things are looking good for two of Sputnik players. Alena Mamina came second in the 400-meter race (51.52 seconds), and Artem Denmukhametov also won silver in the 400-meter race (45.95 seconds). Additionally, the former has already proven her compliance with the Olympic standards at a national championship, and the latter proved his at the world championship in Beijing last year. This means both athletes made it to Russia’s Olympic team. They will now have to wait for the arbitration court’s decision as to whether they will be eligible to compete in the major event.