With just hours until the start of the Rio Olympic Games, about 270 Russian athletes have been cleared to participate in competition.

An International Olympic Committee panel has approved a range of athletes, including 18 shooters, 11 boxers, 11 judokas, eight tennis players, six sailors, five equestrian riders, three archers, and one golfer.

The Rio Olympics will begin shortly, and Russian athletes will be among those competing. (Reuters) More

In lieu of levying a direct and blanket ban, the IOC had asked individual sport federations to attest to the athletes’ fitness to compete in the wake of a range of doping allegations and violations involving Russian athletes. Not all federations signed off on Russia’s athletes; eight weightlifters and 17 rowers were denied entry into the games.

Any Russian who has been served with a ban for doping will not be permitted to compete in the Olympics, regardless of any subsequent test or testimony. The entire Russian track and field program was banned en masse and is ineligible to compete. At least one case, that of sailor Pavel Sozykin, remains to be decided by the IOC.

[Related: Petition asks for Russian whistleblower’s ban to be lifted]

Yahoo Sports’ Greg Wyshynski reports live from the streets of Rio:

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports and the author of EARNHARDT NATION, on sale now at Amazon or wherever books are sold. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.