The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been heavily criticized online over its handling of the Russian doping scandal. Commentators described it as “useless” and “shameful”and favoring past dopers not from Russia.

READ MORE: IOC rules Russia will not be banned from Rio 2016 Olympics

Liam Harbison, the CEO of Paralympics Ireland, described the IOC’s decision to ban Russian athletes with a doping history from the games even if they have served their sanctions as the “hospital pass of all hospital passes.”

So past Russian dopers are excluded but Gatlin etc aren't. Wow. Hospital pass of all hospital passes by IOC to International Federations. — Liam Harbison (@LiamHarbison) July 24, 2016

The rule does not apply to athletes not from Russia who have had doping bans, including British sprinter Justin Gatlin.

So no Russian who has ever served a doping ban can compete in Rio, but Gatlin & LaShawn Merritt, to name but 2, can. What an unholy mess. — Alex Spink (@alexspinkmirror) July 24, 2016

So Russians that have served a doping ban are not allowed to go, but every chance that Justin Gatlin will win the 100m gold medal. #logical — Ian DW (@sportdw) July 24, 2016

Meanwhile, others condemned the IOC for not pushing harder. Canadian ice-hockey Olympian Hayley Wickenheiser said the decision was a failure by the committee to “honor the world’s clean athletes.”

“We matched a lion’s roar with a kittens purr,” she said.

My thoughts today on #IOC ruling on Russia. pic.twitter.com/lRPFyWafp2 — Hayley Wickenheiser (@wick_22) July 24, 2016

One user called the IOC a “disgrace” asking what lengths a country must go to in order to be banned from the Olympics.

If you can't be banned for state sponsored programme of cheating and blatant disregard for sport, what can you be banned for? Disgrace #IOC — Duncan Wright (@dwright75) July 24, 2016

#IOC have just shown how useless they are - total cop out not to ban #Russia. It's a sad world when being able to lie & cheat isn't punished — Mark Williams-Thomas (@mwilliamsthomas) July 24, 2016

Heptathlete Kelly Sotherton said this year’s Olympics would be remembered in history “for the bottling of the #IOC.”

(Sadly) The #Olympics of 2016 will be remembered in history for the bottling of the #IOC. — Kelly Sotherton (@KellySotherton) July 24, 2016

My opinion: #IOC is morally corrupt, that is clear now. Next question is if IOC is also financially corrupt? — Anders Östlund (@andersostlund) July 24, 2016

Now I heard somebody saying "#IOC sent an important signal to #Russia". When will people learn that Russia is totally tone deaf? — Anders Östlund (@andersostlund) July 24, 2016

Sadly #IOC / Bach's decision has more to do with politics & a certain 'special' relationship with #Russia than justice & the Olympic values. — Nick Hope ✌️ (@NickHopeTV) July 24, 2016

Appalling that #Russia have not been banned from the #Olympics



State sponsored cheating, bribery and corruption.#IOC Shameful decision. — Andrew Castle (@AndrewCastle63) July 24, 2016

Meanwhile, the ruling by Olympic bosses was praised in Russia by both athletes and sporting officials.

Russia's Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said that the IOC has made a “considered” decision "in the interests of international sport."

Two-time pole vault Olympic champ and world record holder, Yelena Isinbayeva, who will still miss the Olympics together with the country’s track and field squad, said that IOC understood the scale of the mistake which banning Russia would have been.

“It would have been an international scandal, and the IOC doesn't need that," she stressed.

Head of the Russia’s Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation, Irina Viner-Usmanova, called the ruling “wise,” and thanked IOC, Thomas Bach, for being “a true athlete, Olympian and champion. He knows how it feels to train and then not compete.”