International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has defended the decision to allow Russian athletes to compete at the Rio Olympics.

Allegations of state-sponsored doping in Russia have overshadowed the build-up to this summer's Games, but the IOC last month decided against imposing a blanket ban on the country's athletes.

Athletics and weightlifting are the only federations to have enforced a total ban on Russia, but Bach insists that he does not regret taking a more lenient stance than he could have.

"When you take such a difficult decision, you have to weigh the arguments on all sides and ponder them," he told reporters.

"In the end you have to bring it down to one point, one guiding principle, and for me it was: would I be able to look into the eyes of athletes? I can tell you that during my many, many visits to the Olympic Village I have been looking into the eyes of many athletes.

"In such a difficult situation, you are never going to get 100% agreement - there's no way with so many different arguments and so much passion - but we don't have all the facts yet. I respect every athlete who may feel disappointed, who may have another opinion, but I can look straight forward into their eyes."

At least 271 Russian athletes are expected to compete in Rio, despite the World Anti-Doping Agency recommending that they should all be banned.