IOC Bans Russia from 2018 Olympic Games

IOC Bans Russia from 2018 Olympic Games

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has banned Russia from the 2018 Olympics in South Korea this February. The Russian team has been banned due to evidence of doping in previous Olympics. Russia’s “clean” athletes will be allowed to compete as an OAR (Olympic athlete from Russia) with a neutral flag. Following the IOC’s announcement, President Putin said that he will not forbid athletes from participating in the Games, however, some Russian athletes are expected to boycott the competition. The standards in several sports, including hockey and figure skating, are expected to be lower at the 2018 Games without the Russian powerhouse.

1. The IOC announced that Russia’s Olympic team is banned from the 2018 Olympics due to evidence of doping at previous Olympics.
2. Russia’s “clean” athletes will be allowed to compete under a neutral flag.
3. The report mentions figure skating because Russian figure skaters are usually top competitors in the Olympics. Without Russian figure skaters and hockey players, the level of sport won’t be as high as usual.