International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach has blasted the "deplorable" widespread criticism of Russia returning to international sport.
Bach has delivered a blunt public response to backlash after the IOC issued a controversial recommendation this week that would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under a neutral flag.
The IOC has recommended to event organisers and sporting federations that individual athletes from Russia and Belarus should be permitted to return to competition as neutrals - but a decision has not yet been made on the 2024 Paris Olympics.
