‘Pool’ play

Winter Olympics: The International Olympic Committee has created a pool of 389 Russians who are eligible to compete under a neutral flag at next month’s Winter Olympics amid the country’s doping scandal. An IOC panel whittled down an initial list of 500 to create what the IOC calls ‘‘a pool of clean athletes’’. That could potentially make it possible for Russia to meet its target of fielding around 200 athletes in Pyeongchang — slightly fewer than in Sochi in 2014, but more than in Vancouver in 2010.