AS fudges go, the International Olympic Committee could not have done a better job. It deserves a gold medal for indecision.

By deciding against a blanket ban on Russian athletes and handing the responsibility for their fate to 28 individual federations the IOC has abrogated its claim to be the Games’ governing body.

In a bid to save some face, the IOC has laughably raised the bar for Russian competitors but, with less than two weeks to go, there is precious little time to ensure a level playing field.

At the very least, the IOC’s decision will lead to huge inconsistencies as the various federations attempt to apply the rules in such a short space of time.

Some will probably follow the example set by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and ban all Russian competitors unless they can prove they have been given a clean bill of health outside the domestic testing regime.

Others, such as the International Judo Federation, have already indicated they are prepared to let some Russian athletes compete.

Yuliya Stepanova, the Russian runner who turned whistleblower, must now be wondering if her personal sacrifice was worth it. She is a pariah among her fellow Russian competitors and unlikely to represent her country ever again.

Despite agonising over this issue for months, the IOC has failed to show decisive leadership at a crucial moment. The confusing mess it leaves will taint the achievements of many clean athletes at the Beijing Games as well as raising awkward questions over the results of every Russian competitor, even those who had nothing to do with state-sponsored doping.

As Dick Pound, the former president of the World Anti-Doping Agency, said: “The IOC had a huge opportunity to make a statement. It’s been squandered.”