The International Olympic Committee has approved the admission of 271 Russian athletes – for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The IOC decision comes about 24 hours before the opening ceremony of the Games tomorrow night.

The 271 who won approval come from Russia’s original entry list of 389 athletes.

The IOC asked international sports federations to decide which Russian competitors  should be cleared for the games – after a review of their doping records.

That move followed an investigation for the World Anti-Doping Agency that detailed state-sponsored cheating in Russia.

The final decision on entries was up to a three-member IOC panel – which was advised by an independent sports arbitrator.