Sports News
IOC rejects request to invite 15 Russian athletes whose bans were overturned
The athletes cannot take part in the Winter Olympics, in spite of their doping bans being lifted
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has rejected a request to invite 15 Russians to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics just days after the athletes’ doping bans were overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The 13 active athletes and two retired athletes working in support roles were among a group of 28 athletes whose bans were overturned by CAS on Thursday.
The IOC said in a statement Monday “the decision of the CAS had not lifted the suspicion of doping, or given the panel sufficient confidence to recommend … those 13 athletes could be considered as clean.”
The IOC said the two coaches “should not be considered for an invitation” because of previous evidence available to the IOC.
On Sunday, IOC President Thomas Bach called the CAS ruling “extremely disappointing and surprising” and said it showed the Swiss-based CAS needs “reforms”.
The IOC has invited 169 Russians to compete in Pyeongchang as “Olympic Athletes from Russia” under a neutral flag and has said it has a right to review and appeal the CAS decision.
