Putin to allow athletes to compete

Russia’s president Vladimir Putin has said his country will not boycott the Pyeongchang Olympics, despite the International Olympic Committee (IOC) banning the country’s team as punishment for doping violations.

Mr Putin said his government will allow Russians to compete as neutral athletes at the upcoming Winter Olympics in South Korea.

The IOC has banned the Russian team from the Games as punishment for doping violations at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The IOC, however, plans to invite individual Russians to compete under the Olympic flag.

“Without any doubt we will not declare any kind of blockade,” Mr Putin said in televised remarks after launching his re-election campaign.

“We will not block our Olympians from taking part, if any of them wish to take part as individuals.

“They have been preparing for these competitions for their whole careers, and for them it’s very important.”

Mr Putin said Russia still did not accept accusations that it ran a state-backed doping system around the Sochi Olympics and called the IOC ruling unfair “collective punishment”.

Russian athletes, coaches and politicians have lined up to condemn the IOC ruling, but most say it is better to accept it and compete.

Former British bobsledder John Jackson has expressed his support for the International Olympic Committee’s decision to effectively ban Russia from the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

Jackson and the rest of his GB four-man crew are in line to receive a retrospective bronze medal from Sochi 2014 after two Russian crews that finished ahead of them were disqualified for doping by the International Olympic Committee last week.

The IOC announced on Monday that there will be no Russian flags or anthems in Pyeongchang, and only Russians who can prove they have not cheated – verified by credible anti-doping agencies – will be invited to take part.

Jackson told Press Association Sport: “I always said the IOC should ban Russia as a nation and their flag should not be seen in Pyeongchang, but any athlete who can prove they are clean should be allowed to compete.

“It is going to be quite difficult to prove or disprove their eligibility but as an athlete, all you can ask is that you are allowed to compete on a level playing field to everyone else.”

The issue of Russian eligibility is particularly pertinent within the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, who have twice issued provisional suspensions to the Russian athletes banned by the IOC, only to have to lift their sanctions based on legal advice.

A number of those banned Russians – including Alexander Kasjanov, whose ban by the IOC last week effectively facilitated Jackson’s rise to bronze – are competing in the IBSF World Cup in Winterberg this weekend.

Jackson added: “It’s a difficult one and I imagine the atmosphere at the track might sometimes get a little bit uncomfortable. But as an athlete you’ve just got to focus on getting on with business and leave the rest to the bodies concerned.”

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin has vowed not to stand in the way of Russian athletes competing in Pyeongchang, but called the decision to ban the country “politically motivated”.