Olympics ban

Russia barred from ‘18 Winter Games over doping concerns

GENEVA — The International Olympic Committee said on Tuesday that Russia is banned from the 2018 Winter Olympics set for February in Pyeongchang, South Korea, over doping concerns.

The IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee with immediate effect, but Russian athletes will be able to compete in Pyeongchang in uniforms bearing the name “Olympic Athlete from Russia” under the Olympic flag, and the Olympic anthem will be played at their award ceremonies.

Organizers of the Pyeongchang Olympics have issued a statement saying they accept and respect the IOC’s decision to allow Russian athletes to compete under a neutral flag.

Russia responded to the IOC’s action, with a spokesman for President Vladimir Putin saying on Wednesday the Kremlin needs to analyze the ruling before making any decisions regarding the country’s participation.

“We need to put emotions aside” and “make a serious analysis”, Dmitry Peskov said.

The Winter Games are scheduled for Feb 9 to 25.

Samuel Schmid, former Swiss president, who headed the investigation commission, said a 17-month IOC investigation “confirmed the systemic manipulation of the anti-doping rules” during the Sochi 2014 Games.

The IOC “issued proportional sanctions” and protected “clean athletes,” he said.

Russia has denied the statesponsored doping scheme alleged by the WADA report.

The Russian Investigative Committee said in November its “investigation had obtained data that WADA lacked any evidence of Russia’s guilt in the mass use of doping by athletes”.

Vitaly Mutko, Russian minister of sport during 2014 Sochi Olympics, and his deputy minister, Yuri Nagornykh, were barred from future Olympics. And no official from the Russian Ministry of Sport will be accredited for the Pyeongchang Games.

A WADA report last year was largely based on testimony by the former head of a Moscow anti-doping lab who fled to the United States in 2015 and talked to WADA.

The scandal kept numerous Russian athletes and officials from the 2016 Rio Olympics and Paralympics.