IOC upholds ban on Russia at the Winter Olympics
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) upheld its ban on Russia over doping allegations. This means that the Russian athletes will not be able to march under its flag at the closing ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. However, the IOC said that the suspension could be lifted later if there are no further doping violations at the 2018 Games.
The background story behind ban on Russia
Last December, Russia was banned from the 2018 Winter Olympics, due to widespread allegations of state-sponsored doping during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. However, the IOC had allowed 168 Russian athletes, who were deemed "clean", to take part in the 2018 Winter Games, under the Olympic flag as "Olympic Athletes from Russia."
Two cases of doping at the ongoing games
Two Russian athletes were tested positive at the Pyeongchang games. Alexander Krushelnitzky, a curler who tested positive for meldonium, had to return his bronze in the medal mixed doubles curling category, and bobsledder Nadezhda Sergeeva was tested positive for trimetazidine. Ironically, Sergeeva appeared in a promotional video released during the games, wearing a T-shirt which read, "I don't do doping."
Two positive cases were a factor in upholding the ban
IOC president Thomas Bach said that the two cases of doping at the ongoing Games prevented IOC from considering the lifting of ban on Russia at the closing ceremony.
