345IOC headquarters [Photo: Courtesy]The International Olympics Committee, IOC, has opposed the quest to admit the 15 banned Russian athletes into the Olympic Winter Games set to be held at PyeongChang in South Korea, 2018. Russian athletes who comprise of 11 practising and two retired individuals were cleared after the Court of Arbitration of Sports (CAS) investigated their cases and rendered them eligible for the upcoming Olympic games. In its argument, the athletics body IOC argues that the athletes who were being investigated had not been fully cleared and declared fit for competition. "Therefore, the Panel unanimously recommended that the IOC not extend an invitation to the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 to the 15 individuals requested by the suspended ROC.”Further in its rebuttal to the idea of including the 15 athletes submitted by the Russian Olympic Committee, IOC adds that an establishment by its panel puts the athletes on the spot for engaging in doping. While commenting on the issue, Russian Olympic Assembly chief Alexander Zhrkov praised CAS decision.

Source: Standard Digital February 05, 2018 10:18 UTC