Russia Banned from Winter Olympics by I.O.C.
- 6 years ago
Russia Banned from Winter Olympics by I.O.C.
The decision was announced after top International Olympic Committee officials had met privately with Mr. Zhukov; Vitaly Smirnov, Russia’s former sports minister who was last year appointed Mr. Putin to lead a national antidoping commission to redeem Russia’s standing in global sports;
and Evgenia Medvedeva, a two-time world skating champion.
“Everyone is talking about how to punish Russia, but no one is talking about how to help Russia,” Mr. Smirnov said,
sipping a hot beverage in the lobby of the Lausanne Palace Hotel before delivering his final appeal to officials.
Olympic officials made two seemingly significant concessions to Russia:
¶ Any of its athletes competing under a neutral flag will be referred to as Olympic Athletes from Russia.
¶ Olympics officials said they might lift the ban on Russia in time for the closing ceremony, suggesting
the nation’s flag could make a symbolic appearance in the final hours of the Pyeongchang Games.
“This decision should draw a line under this damaging episode,” Mr. Bach said at a news conference, noting
that Alexander Zhukov, the president of Russia’s Olympic Committee whom the I. O.C.
O.C., has said he was perturbed not only by Russia’s widespread cheating but by how it had been accomplished: by corrupting the Olympic laboratory
that handled drug testing at the Games, and on orders from Russia’s own Olympic officials.
The Russian Olympic Committee was also fined $15 million on Tuesday, money
that global officials said will be put toward drug-testing international athletes.
The decision was announced after top International Olympic Committee officials had met privately with Mr. Zhukov; Vitaly Smirnov, Russia’s former sports minister who was last year appointed Mr. Putin to lead a national antidoping commission to redeem Russia’s standing in global sports;
and Evgenia Medvedeva, a two-time world skating champion.
“Everyone is talking about how to punish Russia, but no one is talking about how to help Russia,” Mr. Smirnov said,
sipping a hot beverage in the lobby of the Lausanne Palace Hotel before delivering his final appeal to officials.
Olympic officials made two seemingly significant concessions to Russia:
¶ Any of its athletes competing under a neutral flag will be referred to as Olympic Athletes from Russia.
¶ Olympics officials said they might lift the ban on Russia in time for the closing ceremony, suggesting
the nation’s flag could make a symbolic appearance in the final hours of the Pyeongchang Games.
“This decision should draw a line under this damaging episode,” Mr. Bach said at a news conference, noting
that Alexander Zhukov, the president of Russia’s Olympic Committee whom the I. O.C.
O.C., has said he was perturbed not only by Russia’s widespread cheating but by how it had been accomplished: by corrupting the Olympic laboratory
that handled drug testing at the Games, and on orders from Russia’s own Olympic officials.
The Russian Olympic Committee was also fined $15 million on Tuesday, money
that global officials said will be put toward drug-testing international athletes.