IOC suspends Russian Olympic committee, will allow athletes to compete as neutrals
Posted Dec 5, 2017 02:03:51 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The International Olympic Committee says Russian athletes will be able to compete at the upcoming Pyeongchang Olympics as neutrals.
The IOC, which also suspended the Russian Olympic committee and IOC member Alexander Zhukov on Tuesday, says some competitors will be invited to participate as an “Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR)” without their national flag or anthem.
Russia could refuse the offer and boycott the games.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously said it would be humiliating for his country to compete without national symbols.
The IOC also imposed a lifetime Olympic ban on Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko, the organizer of soccer’s 2018 World Cup, and imposed a fine of $15 million on the Russian Olympic committee.
