More Russians join banned list

As four more Russians were disqualified for doping at the Sochi Olympics, IOC president Thomas Bach signaled a possible shift toward barring the country’s athletes from the Pyeongchang Games.

Two-time bobsled gold medalist Alexander Zubkov, who carried the Russian flag at the Opening Ceremony in Sochi, was removed from the 2014 records in the latest round of verdicts from an International Olympic Committee panel prosecuting individuals caught in a program to cover up doping and tamper with tainted samples.

Now the president of the Russian bobsled federation, Zubkov was disqualified and banned for life from the Olympics along with speedskater Olga Fatkulina, who won silver in the 500 meters.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Zubkov told the Associated Press, saying he plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and has no intention of stepping down. “I was working toward those medals for years.

“All my achievements, all my victories have always been and remain clean. Sport has turned into politics.”

Russia originally topped the medals table in Sochi, but the latest cases drop it to nine gold medals, fewer than Norway and Canada.

In total medals, Russia has 24, behind the United States, Norway and Canada.

A total of 14 Russians have been disqualified this month, with nine medals lost.

With Zubkov being stripped of the gold medals he won in two- and four-man events at Sochi, U.S. bobsledder Steven Holcomb, who died in May, will posthumously move up one spot from bronze to silver in each of those races, once the medals are formally reallocated.

Skeleton racer Matt Antoine and bobsledders Holcomb, Chris Fogt, Steven Langton and Curt Tomasevicz left Sochi with bronzes and will be getting silvers.

Skeleton racer Katie Uhlaender will be getting her first medal, with her finish upgraded from fourth to bronze.

And combined, they will collect a total of $45,000 in additional bonus money from the U.S. Olympic Committee, which rewards medal performances.