Mikhail Gorbachev pleads with IOC to avoid blanket ban on Russia

"I regard the principle of collective punishment as unacceptable."

Mikhail Gorbachev has called on the International Olympic Committee to allow Russian athletes to compete at Rio 2016.

The former Soviet Union president has written to the IOC to plead the case of those who have not failed drugs tests and yet face possible bans from taking part in the Games.