IOC Bans Russia From 2018 Winter Games
Dec 5, 2017, 12:00 AM | Updated: Jan 4, 2019, 11:21 am
(Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
The 2018 Winter Games are fast approaching, but Russia will no longer be there…
TMZ Sports has reported that the IOC has banned the country from the upcoming games.
This severe punishment is due to the country’s huge athlete doping operation sponsored by the government. Russian athletes in every sport are prohibited from representing the country at the competition.
While these athletes can participate under a neutral flag, they need to prove they’re drug-free to qualify.
The United States Committee issued a response to the ban, saying:
“The IOC took a strong and principled decision. There were no perfect options, but this decision will clearly make it less likely that this ever happens again. Now it is time to look ahead to PyeongChang.”
The 2018 Winter Games will begin on February 9th, 2018 in PyeongChang, South Korea.
Learn more right here.
