Olympic Games 2018: Mutko weathering after CAS judgement: Court under pressure

Russia has reacted angrily to the decision of the International Sports Court CAS to exclude 47 of its athletes and coaches from the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang. For Deputy Prime Minister Witali Mutko, the court was not free in his decision.

“It was difficult for CAS to make a decision after so much pressure,”said Mutko, who was involved in the doping scandal even as former sports minister of his country and was banned from all functions for the Olympic Games as the mastermind.

After CAS lifted lifelong Olympic suspensions against 39 athletes last week, IOC President Thomas Bach was angry and announced reforms for the highest sports court.

In its verdict of Friday, CAS considered it justified that the IOC had not invited the Russians to the Winter Games in Pyeongchang because of violations of anti-doping regulations. Previously, 169 Russian athletes had received the green light to participate. They have to start as “Olympic Athletes from Russia” under neutral flag in South Korea.