Russia was banned from the 2018 Winter Olympics after a report found evidence of state-sponsored doping.
Russia has been banned from the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, after a report found evidence of state-sponsored doping. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to ban Russia on Tuesday following a meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland. Russian athletes will be allowed to compete under a neutral flag if they can prove they are clean.
The decision comes after an investigation commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) found evidence of widespread doping among Russian athletes and officials. The WADA report said there were “systemic failures” at all levels of Russian sport and described it as “sabotage” with the aim of “institutionalised manipulation”.
“It’s an unprecedented attack on the integrity of the Olympic Games and sport,” IOC President Thomas Bach said at a news conference following Tuesday’s meeting.
