Olympics 2018: Doping scandal: IOC blocks eleven more Russians – Bronze for Langenhan

In the course of the manipulation and doping scandal surrounding host Russia at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, the IOC has excluded eleven other Russian athletes from the Olympic Games for life. Among those affected is also sledgeman Albert Demchenko, who also won silver in the singles in Sochi. As Demchenko is eliminated from the results, fourth-placed Andi Langenhan (Zella-Mehlis) moves up to bronze. The German team in Sochi now wins 20 medals (8-6-6).

The number of cases investigated by the Oswald Disciplinary Commission has now risen to 46 cases. 43 athletes were excluded from the Olympic Games for the rest of their lives, and no sanctions were imposed in three cases.

In addition to Albert Demtschenko, 42 years old and the oldest medal winner in a one-on-one competition at the Olympic Winter Games, his sledding colleague Tatyana Ivanova was also excluded. In addition came the cross-country skiers Nikita Kryukov, Alexander Bessmertnych and Natalia Matveva, from the bobsleigh sports Ludmilla Udobkina and Maxim Belugin, the speed skaters Ivan Skobrew and Artem Kusnezow as well as the ice hockey players Tatjana Burina and Anna Schchukina.

Under the auspices of the IOC Commission led by Denis Oswald of Switzerland, all available samples of Russian athletes taken at the 2014 Games have been analysed.

The Oswald Commission also announced that all hearings of Russian athletes attending the Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang (9. till 25. February) will be completed shortly. All the athletes of the country are allowed to start in Pyeongchang, who were demonstrably not involved in the state-backed manipulation. However, they must compete under a neutral flag as “Olympic Athletes from Russia”. The Russian anthem is not played in an Olympic victory.