Elena Aniushina (RUS) at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Canoe Sprint.

The Russian rift with the International Canoe Federation (ICF) widened after officials bungled results on day 3 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Canoe Sprint.

Following the completion of the semi finals the results showed Russian athlete Elena Aniushina (pictured above) had qualified for the women’s A final based on time. The official results and start list for tomorrow’s final were then published and distributed to the teams.

Then officials admitted they had made a mistake and overturned the official result leaving the Russian out of the 8 boat final. The ICF:

“In MC1 200m (race 52 and 53) and WK1 500m (race 56 and 57) the progression was interpreted inaccurately. The progression has been revised and correct information distributed.”

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Team Leader Elena Iskhakova from Russia addresses Frank Garner (Chair ICF Sprint) on Facebook:

“Elena Aniushina was in the Final A… now, without informing Russian Canoe Federation you changed her to the Final B.”

It is not the first mistake. The ICF changed the progression system from Heats to Semi Finals and Finals just ahead ahead of the Games, but Rio 2016 failed to publish the new version, instead an old version was available online.

Additional changes were made even on the first morning of competition in the men’s C1 event.

Martin Fuksa from the Czech Republic.

Something similar as with the Russians happened to Martin Fuksa from the Czech Republic. Initially he made it to the A Final but a little later he was out. The Czechs submitted a protest but that didn’t convince the ICF.

One of the team leaders:

The main point is that the sport expects things like this to be right and not give the image that things are being made up.

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