Three days after the end of the Winter Games in Pyeongchang, the International Olympic Committee has lifted the suspension of the Russian National Olympic Committee ROC. This was announced by the IOC on Wednesday afternoon.
The IOC confirmed that the doping tests in Pyeongchang did not show any further positive results of “Olympic athletes from Russia”,”As announced at the executive meeting on 25 May 2008″. The decision of the Russian Olympic Committee, which was adopted on 2 February, means that the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee has been lifted automatically and with immediate effect,”the communication said.
ROC chairman Alexander Schukov had already announced earlier:”The rights of the Russian Olympic Committee have been fully restored” The ROC had been informed of the decision by letter.
The IOC had suspended Russia’s NOK in December last year because of the state doping scandal surrounding the games four years ago in Sochi. It was planned to reintegrate Russia into the Olympic family at the closing ceremony in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and two doping cases in the 168-strong team of “Olympic athletes from Russia”, which started under a neutral flag, prevented the project.
“The IOC had considered lifting the suspension against Russia. IOC President Thomas Bach said on the day of the closing ceremony that “two athletes violated the doping regulations at the Games, which was very disappointing and prevented the IOC from lifting the suspension,” but at the same time announced:”The sanction will be lifted as soon as it is clear that there will be no more doping cases from Pyeongchang.”.
At the Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang (9. till 18. March) Russia is still excluded. The International Paralympic Committee has invited 30 individually reviewed athletes from Russia to South Korea as “Neutral Paralympic Athletes (NPA)”.