Russian Olympic Committee reinstated by IOC

World
Europe

The Russian Olympic Committee has been reinstated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after the remaining tests of the country's athletes at the PyeongChang Winter Games all returned negative.

Russians competed as neutrals in South Korea after the IOC suspended its Olympic Committee in December citing evidence of an "unprecedented systematic manipulation" of the anti-doping system.

The IOC reinstatement means athletes can compete under the Russian flag and wear a national team uniform, while the national anthem can be played at gold medal ceremonies. It also means Russian officials can take part at IOC meetings.

ROC President Alexander Zhukov in the news conference on the IOC's decision to lift the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee. /VCG Photo

On Feb. 25, the IOC said Russia, which has repeatedly denied state involvement in doping, would be automatically re-admitted if there were no more doping violations from the Games.

A statement on Wednesday read, “The IOC can confirm all the remaining results are negative. Therefore, as stated in the Executive Board decision of Feb. 25, the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) is automatically lifted with immediate effect."

ROC President Alexander Zhukov said, "This decision by the IOC is very important for us, because the Russian Olympic Committee is once again completely reinstated in its rights, and is now a completely full-fledged member of the Olympic family."

However, he also mentioned, "Unfortunately our relationship with WADA so far -- and I mean total reinstatement of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency -- is not complete. So some serious work has to be done on this matter, and that will be just as difficult as the reinstatement of the ROC, but it must be done and it must be done as soon as possible."