Russia may be back in the fold

BACH: IF NO MORE CASES ARISE THE BAN WILL BE LIFTED

Pyeongchang

Olympics chief Thomas Bach denied the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics had been “tainted” by the Russian doping scandal as officials voted to keep Russia’s suspension in place for the closing ceremony yesterday.

Bach said Russia’s ban from Olympic participation will be lifted if anti-doping officials do not find any more Russian drug cases at Pyeongchang, where two Russians tested positive.

Russia’s national Olympic Committee hailed yesterday’s IOC vote and said it expected its suspension to be lifted “within the next few days”.

“According to the standing order, it takes 72 hours to implement the test procedure,” a statement said.

The Russian men’s ice hockey team also sang the Russian national anthem after winning gold on Sunday, contravening guidelines over Russia’s participation as neutrals.

The country was banned for systemic doping but 168 “clean” Russians were allowed to compete – only for a curler and a bobsledder to fail drugs tests.

But Bach said the IOC had sent a “clear message” on Russia, who competed as “Olympic Athletes from Russia” and are unable to fly the national flag at the closing ceremony following the vote.

“I don’t think, quite frankly, that these Olympic Winter Games have been tainted by the Russian affair because we had no Russian team here,” Bach said.

The vote to keep Russia’s ban in place for the time being followed a recommendation from the IOC’s executive board, which met Saturday and early Sunday to thrash out Russia’s fate.

Bach said the positive tests from curler Alexander Krushelnitsky, and women’s bobsleigh pilot Nadezhda Sergeyeva, were the “key factor” in the decision not to immediately lift the ban. –