The Latest on the Olympics ahead of the Rio Games (all times local):
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8:50 a.m.
Russian whistleblower Yulia Stepanova was cleared by track and field’s world governing body to compete as a neutral athlete in the European championships and the Rio Olympics.
While her participation in next week’s European meet is assured, it remains uncertain whether the IOC will accept the decision for the Olympics.
The IAAF said its doping review board accepted Stepanova’s application to compete as an independent athlete under “exceptional eligibility” rules.
The 800-meter runner provided evidence to the World Anti-Doping Agency of widespread cheating in Russia that led the IAAF to bar the country’s track and field athletes from international competition, including the Rio Games.
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8:40 a.m.
The Olympics will become a tangible reality on Friday, when one of its so-called “Mega” souvenir shops opens on Copacabana Beach.
Bring plenty of cash, at least for anything more than a keychain that sells for 25 Brazilian reals ($8). A commemorative gold medal will sell for around $2,000.
Olympic merchandising is big business.
Rio’s head of licensing and retail sales, Sylmara Multini, says organizers hope to sell merchandise worth about 1 billion Brazilian reals ($310 million).
The 19,300 square-foot layout on Copacabana is one of three huge stores. The largest will be a store in the Olympic Park.