Some of the best athletes face sanctions linked to performance-enhancing drugs
The absence of the Russian delegation will undermine any success of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, which have been marred by widespread doping allegations against some top athletes.
Russia's participation in Rio was put in doubt last month when the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) suspended the team amid state-sponsored doping accusations, however, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will make a final determination July 24 about the fate of Russian athletes.
If the IOC decides against a Russian appeal, 386 athletes, including a strong track and field team, will be locked out of the games for which Russia had high hopes.
Among of them is Yelena Isinbayeva, two-time Olympic gold medalist and current world record holder in the pole vault who many consider the greatest-ever female in the sport. She said she would retire after the Rio games.
A ban would also rule out Sergey Shubenkov, a two-time European champion and current world title-holder in the 110m hurdles. The 2015 World Champion in the high jump, Mariya Kuchina, would also miss out on a chance to compete against the best in the world.
Personal heartbreak aside, a Russian disqualification would be a crushing blow to a country that prides itself on being among the world's best athletic competitors, evident with its strong showings in past games, including 79 medals at the London Games in 2012; 72 at the 2008 Beijing games and 92 in Athens in 2004.
Another cloud of suspicion has been cast over the Kenyan delegation, known primarily for its dominance in long distance running events.
The east African nation has been plagued with doping accusations with 40 of its athletes suspended since the 2012 games in London, and four officials investigated for corruption by the IAAF.
The most fertile country in the world for first class marathoners was on the verge of suspension in May after doubts surfaced about its anti-doping program.
But Kenya managed to quickly approve a new policy and is now on a "watch list" until the end of the year, meaning its team of 50 athletes, including seven world champions, will be at the Rio games.
Doping has also tainted Jamaica's image. And its performance may be hampered after the world's fastest man suffered a minor hamstring tear three weeks ago.
Six-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt will compete in Rio but he is at risk of being sanctioned for doping – by someone else.
The Jamaican star could be stripped of one of his six gold medals after Nesta Caster, a teammate on the 4x100m relay squad recently tested positive for a banned substance.
Carter, the sixth fastest 100m runner of all-time, ran at the Beijing games along with Bolt, Asafa Powell and Michael Frater, helping the Jamaican team set a new world record.
His absence is itself a big loss for the games that will be held Aug. 5 - 21, as Carter has been a vital member of the all-conquering Jamaican relay team, winning two Olympic gold medals and three world titles in the past six years.
Doping is not new to the Olympics. A number of athletes have had to forfeit their medals since the 1970s, when the OIC began to establish controls to prevent the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Perhaps the most shocking incident was that of Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson, who was stripped of his 1988 gold medal and his then world record of 9.79 seconds in the 100 meters at the Seoul games after testing positive for anabolic steroids.
American female sprinter Marion Jones was forced return her three gold medals and two bronze ones she won at the Sydney games in 2000 after it was discovered she had used performance-enhancing drugs.
Athletes have always looked for an edge on the competition. Unfortunately, some have sought to gain the upper hand by going outside the rules.
In Rio, records will undoubtedly fall and some will achieve ultimate glory having proven they are indeed the best of the best.
But with doping scandals so widespread and suspicions involving over so many big name athletes, the Olympic games may always have a dark cloud hanging over the competition.
