Olympics: IOC lifts ban on Russia

Russia’s ban from participating in the Olympics as a nation has been lifted this afternoon by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The international organization made this known in a statement released this afternoon on its website after its anti-doping arm which tests athletes for drug cheats cleared Russian athletes of further doping offence.

Russia was earlier banned from being recognized as a member of the IOC in 2014 when it was revealed that systematic doping was state-sponsored. Russian athletes, however, competed under the aegis of Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR) at Pyeongchang.

“The final notification of all remaining test results from the Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR) delegation has been received from the Doping-Free Sport Unit (DFSU). The IOC can confirm that all remaining results are negative,” started a statement released by the IOC.

The IOC had promised to rescind its ban on the Soviet nation if no other athletes tested positive for drugs, eventhough two further athletes tested positive for banned substances during Pyeongchang 2018 winter games.

“Therefore, as stated in the executive board decision of 25th February the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee is automatically lifted with immediate effect”, the statement concluded.

Russian athletes were banned after the Sochi 2014 and the OAR were not allowed to fly the Russian flag during the opening and closing ceremonies of the recently concluded winter games held in the city of Pyeongchang, South Korea.