NAMES & FACES

Vladimir Putin

In a bizarre switch, the Russian president is accusing the United States of trying to influence Russia’s presidential election in March — by using Russian athletes’ doping scandals to discredit his government. Four more Russian cross-country skiers were found guilty Thursday of doping at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, including three-time silver medalist Maxim Vylegzhanin. “In response to our supposed interference in their elections, they want to cause problems in the Russian presidential election,” Putin said, according to comments reported by Russian news agencies. With calls to ban Russia’s team from next year’s PyeongChang Olympics likely to increase, the IOC’s executive board will meet Dec. 5-7 to discuss the matter.

Mike Tyson

Chilean authorities say they’ve denied the former heavyweight boxing champion entry to the country and are sending him back to the U.S. Chile’s equivalent of the FBI said Thursday that Tyson doesn’t meet requirements for entry, apparently because of his criminal record. Tyson served three years of a six-year sentence in the 1990s for raping a teenage beautypageant contestant. He also has been convicted of assault and cocaine possession. Tyson came to Chile to take part in a promotional event for a TV channel.

Associated Press