(CNN) The whistleblowers whose evidence was key to revealing the extent of Russian state-backed doping have slammed the International Olympic Committee's decision not to ban the entire team, saying it is sends a signal to the sporting superpower can simply carry on as before. Speaking to CNN for the first time since their evidence came to light in 2014, Vitaly Stepanov, a former employee at the Russian anti-doping agency RUSADA, and his wife, 800 meter runner Yulia Stepanova, said the IOC missed a crucial opportunity to dismantle Russia's doping culture. "I do believe the IOC had a chance to destroy this system and to show that the Olympic movement will not tolerate this kind of cheating," Stepanov told CNN via a Skype from the U.S., "but they chose not to do that."Russian whistleblowers lament IOC's failure to ban Russia from RioThe Stepanovs believe it will allow Russia to continue doping at future GamesCouple's evidence first exposed in 2014 German documentaryLed to the first independent WADA report last November
The Stepanovs asked the IOC to review this decision, saying it was based on a claim by the Olympic organization that Stepanova had refused to compete for _.