The International Olympic Committee has imposed a lifelong Olympic suspension on another Russian gold medalist from Sochi. In addition to skeleton driver Alexander Tretyakov, three other skeleton riders received the highest penalty: bronze winner Jelena Nikitina, Olga Potylizina (5th) and Maria Orlowa (6th). The IOC did not give a detailed justification for the judgements.
The IOC commission of executive member Denis Oswald, who is responsible for sanctioning the 28 suspicious Russian Sochi starters named in the McLaren report, continues to crack down hard. A total of six cross-country skiers have also been banned for life for all Olympic functions, including Alexander Legkov, gold medallist of Sochi over 50 kilometres. All athletes have been removed from the Olympic result lists.
If these were to be officially adapted, the originally second-placed Latvian Martins Dukurs would be the new skeleton Olympic champion of Sochi. This would be Latvia’s first gold medal in the history of the Olympic Winter Games to be awarded at a green table. German athletes would not advance to the medal ranks.
Tretyakov had finished third and sixth respectively in the two races of the new World Cup season. It is now up to the IBSF to decide whether he can continue to compete in the World Cup.