IOC Bans Russia from 2018 Olympics for Doping

[FigureSpins]

Russia as a country is banned from the upcoming Winter Olympics.  The Athletes can compete as "neutral athletes from Russia."

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/05/sports/olympics/ioc-russia-winter-olympics.html

[Bill_S]

I just read that on the news channel. That's BIG!

[FigureSpins]

I can't believe they waited until two months before the Games start.  That's just cruel to the athletes.

[Query]

Who decides which Russian athletes can compete - is it still the Russian sports federation, whatever it is called? I assume it isn't just any Russian who wants to go...

Is Russia the only country whose athletes may petition to compete under neutral uniforms?

Can any human being in the world decide they want to go to the Olympics, under a neutral flag?

BTW, it's not as though most figure skaters skate in costumes that have national flags on them... Fortunately - it isn't much time to create a costume.

[Leif]

The IOC will decide which athletes are allowed to go based on past drug test samples.

I think this is just. Putin is a corrupt murderous thug who has systematically siphoned off huge amounts of money from the Russian state and ordered the murder of political opponents. It's about time the world stood up to him.

I can't believe they waited until two months before the Games start.  That's just cruel to the athletes.

Not really, only the cheats will be banned. The sad truth might be that Russian athletes were in effect forced to cheat or lose the support of state sponsors. They do say a fish rots from the head.