Olympic Games: World Ice Hockey Federation against complete ban for Russia

The World Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has decided against a complete exclusion of Russia from the Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang (9. till 25. February).

The IOC had recently made 19 athletes sit up and wait for Olympic Games for life in the Russian state doping scandal.

IIHF President Rene Fasel, who had also been a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Committee for eight years, described the collective punishment as unfair. In that case,”many Russian athletes who have nothing to do with doping would be punished unfairly,”said the association boss.

While recognising the need to combat doping in sport, Olympia should not be used to block many athletes from the sins of a few athletes. At the same time, Fasel stressed that Russia’s role in the development of global ice hockey is very important.

The Olympic organisers have already felt this. The Russian-dominated ice hockey league KHL, the second-best league in the world after the NHL, had threatened to ban all players from playing, should the IOC decide to completely exclude Russia or let Russian athletes start as “neutral athletes”.

The IOC will decide on Tuesday in Lausanne on a possible total exclusion. The decision is based on the findings of Samuel Schmid, a former Swiss Federal Councillor, who is investigating the extent to which authorities and politicians were involved in the Russian doping system. Between 2011 and 2015, a total of around one thousand Russian athletes are expected to have benefited from the system.