Russia reinstated by Olympic committee
Russia’s ban from the Olympic movement was lifted Wednesday despite two failed doping tests by its athletes at the Pyeongchang Games.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed the move during a Kremlin award ceremony for Olympians, saying “we must turn this page.”
“We must draw relevant conclusions for ourselves, but I hope that international organizations also will eventually understand that sports must be kept away from problems unrelated to it,” he said.
The decision by the International Olympic Committee appears to be an attempt to draw a line under the state-concocted doping scandal that tarnished the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.
The IOC allowed more than 160 athletes it determined were clean to compete as “Olympic Athletes from Russia” in Pyeongchang with a prohibition on the national anthem or flag in venues.
“You can take away any attributes, but you can’t take away our character, and you have proven it with your performance,” Putin said after giving state awards to Olympic athletes.
Russia’s hopes of marching under its flag at Sunday ’s closing ceremony in South Korea were stymied by the two positive tests for banned substances, including a curler who had to forfeit his bronze medal.
But the IOC said Wednesday all remaining test results were negative, clearing the path for Russia’s return to the Olympic fold.
“Therefore, as stated in the executive board decision of 25th February, the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee is automatically lifted with immediate effect,” the IOC said in a statement.
Russian athletes won two gold medals in Pyeongchang, in figure skating and hockey, along with six silver medals and nine bronze.
“We defended the country ’s honour thanks to the Russian character,” echoed Pavel Datsyuk, captain of the Russian hockey team.
Vitaly Smirnov, the head of an anti-doping commission set up by Putin, did acknowledge Wednesday that “we have a long way to go to get rid of the mistakes, which we made in the past.”