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Russia banned from 2018 Winter Olympics

Russia has been banned from taking part in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea due to concern...
Newstalk
Newstalk

19.47 5 Dec 2017


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Russia banned from 2018 Winter...

Russia banned from 2018 Winter Olympics

Newstalk
Newstalk

19.47 5 Dec 2017


Share this article


Russia has been banned from taking part in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea due to concerns over doping.

However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said that individual "Russian clean athletes" will still be able to compete as neutral athletes at the games in Pyeongchang from 9-25 February next year.

Banning an entire country from the Games is an unprecedented move for the IOC.

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The president of the Russian skating union has described the decision as offensive and insulting.

The IOC has also banned Russian deputy prime minister Vitaly Mutko from the Olympic movement for life.

He was formerly sports minister and continuously denied state-backed doping was going on.

The politician is currently head of the organising committee for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

A 17-month doping investigation headed up by former Swiss president Samuel Schmid found there was "the systemic manipulation of the anti-doping rules and system in Russia."


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