THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPICS Committee has lifted a ban against Russia, after the country had been barred from the Pyeongchang games over state-sponsored doping.
The news was announced as Olympic athletes were feted in the Kremlin, thanking President Vladimir Putin for letting them compete under a neutral status.
“The rights of the Russian Olympic Committee have been fully restored,” said the president of the Russian Olympic Committee, Alexander Zhukov.
Zhukov said Russia received a letter from the IOC on Wednesday, which confirms that no other Olympic athletes from Russia had tested positive for doping, following two positive Russian drug tests at this month’s Winter Games in Pyeongchang.
“All of the doping tests that were conducted on our athletes in the last days of the Olympics were negative,” Zhukov said. The IOC said in a statement that Russia’s suspension has been “automatically lifted with immediate effect.”
Russia was banned in December from taking part in the 2018 Olympics following revelations of widespread doping, though 168 athletes were deemed “clean” and were cleared to go to Pyeongchang to compete under the Olympic flag.
The time since the ban on 5 December was “probably some of the most difficult months in the history of Russian sports and the Olympic movement in Russia,” Zhukov said, praising athletes in particular for competing in “difficult conditions.”
Putin praised Russian athletes as they were honoured in a Kremlin ceremony, saying the Olympic suspension was “a page we must turn.”
You showed your best athletic and human qualities. You showed your fighting character,” Putin told the athletes. The ceremony followed Russia’s Pyeongchang medalists receiving keys to white Mercedes SUVs the day earlier.
“Despite all the difficulties, the Games had pleasant surprises and gave us new heroes,” Putin said. “The entire team deserves our thanks.”
Silver medalist figure skater Evgenia Medvedeva said in a short speech: “We put all our soul into our performance. We fought for medals for our Motherland.”
Two Russians, curler Alexander Krushelnitsky and bobsledder Nadezhda Sergeyeva, were kicked out of the Olympics after their doping tests were revealed to be positive, with Krushelnitsky being stripped of his bronze medal.
The scandal meant that the Olympic team from Russia could not use national colours or flag for the closing ceremony in Pyeongchang as originally hoped.
Moscow blamed the two cases on “negligence rather than malicious intent,” while Krushelnitsky denied knowingly doping and some Russian media said his food was spiked by an ex-girlfriend.
Russia’s Olympic ban followed the uncovering of a doping conspiracy where tainted urine samples were switched with clean ones.
The government has denied any state involvement in the plot but a top sports official Vitaly Mutko, currently a deputy prime minister, was suspended by the IOC for life.
Russia’s reinstatement in the IOC does not affect the suspended status of its RUSADA national anti-doping agency with the World Anti-Doping Agency, which on Monday said the country remains non-compliant, citing “proven systemic manipulation of the doping control process.”
Putin said on Wednesday that “the fight against the evil of doping should be without compromise.”
WADA previously criticised the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport which overturned Olympic life bans on 28 Russians accused of doping, though they still did not compete in Pyeongchang.
“Unfortunately so far our relationship with WADA, the reinstatement of status of RUSADA, is not complete,” Zhukov said.
“There is still a lot of work to be done which is likely to be as difficult as the work to reinstate the Russian Olympic Committee,” he said.
“But we must do this as quickly as possible to create a comprehensive system to fight doping in Russia.”
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We’re definitely building momentum at the moment and the confidence seems to be back in a big way… None more so than Marcus Rashford! I’m thoroughly enjoying watching this team for the first time in quite a while. Onwards and upwards!
@G Bot: you are easily pleased. Rashford only one performing at elite level.
@roderick: you obviously don’t look at football your narrative doesn’t make sense, did you ever hear about de gea, casemiro, varane, eriksen, shaw?? Just asking??
I’m expecting this United team to win now and that’s a very dangerous mindset lol
@Aidy McBride: it’s one game calm down … that’s coming from a utd fan ..
@Ciaran: and the previous 7 games.
@Ciaran: one defeat in 17 games, 7 wins on the bounce. Where are you getting 1 game from?
@Ciaran: congratulations been on this app for a while now and some of the comments on here are mind blowingly terrible but you my man just one first prize well done the most stupid comment I have ever read on this app.
@Ciaran: 100% would not be getting too carried away alot to work on. Everton could of easily won that game tonight. If people think martial is the saviour well we are in big trouble.
@Pauly Kel: no one thinks martial is the saviour I literally have not heard one person say that.
@A$AP ETH: one game in the FA Cup.. and going to win it already .. do me a favour …
@Aidy McBride: one game in the FA cup played and United are going to win it already.. do me a favour ..
@Ciaran: he didn’t say that, and aren’t fans allowed be pleased when their team wins anymore?
@rory: *won first prize.
One game in the FA cup played and United are going to win it already.. very ambitious but I can see where you are coming from. Confusing one with won. Man Utd have only played ONE game in the FA cup this season.. they haven’t WON the FA cup.. primary school level English there pal..
@Ciaran: You clearly misinterpreted his comment. As a United fan who’s seen far too many false dawns in the last few years I know exactly what he means!
@A$AP ETH: read the initial comment .. “I’m expecting this utd team to win it now” .. so he did say it
@Ciaran: maybe you should start following a different team mate, just a thought.
@Ciaran: that’s not what I said. Put the bottle down and go to bed mate.
@Ciaran: he said, ‘i’m expecting this utd team to win now’. Not win ‘it’ now Which 99.9% of people would take as being confident in the teams ability to win – not just confined to one comp, but shur whatever you think yourself.
@Ciaran: Jesus mate, who s41t in your handbag this evening??
@rory: he is the center forward now, I realise what he brings to the team with he’s pressing and working as a unit but he is not going score the 20 goals a season what is needed.. Taking off last 7 games he has started? A few friends of mine(season ticket holders) think he’s the man? I beg to differ.!!
@Ciaran: spot on!
@Aidy McBride: Very sad to see you arguing with your own now. Where will it end.
@Damien Leen: Obsessed
Scoreline flattered united a bit in the end. Good to get the win though. Rashford looking better with every game. Real test are the next two, still looking a bit dodgy at the back. Hopefully martinez gets a start next game.
@A$AP ETH: first game in a few that Utd looked shaky. Was like looking at them last year. Plenty of the ball around the box with no penetration. Really really need a good striker, or even a half decent one. Still a win is a win. Everton look doomed. Playing terrible and just seem to be throwing themselves to the group when they run out of ideas.
@Cormac Flanagan: hopefully it is just shaw being a bit inexperienced at cb. It’s worked the last few games, but i don’t think he’ll cut the mustard in there against city and arsenal. I suppose dalot was bit rusty as well.Right about a striker, I was hoping they would throw in a bid for toney, but they might be put off by the betting stuff.
@A$AP ETH: How is is the real test? United beat Arsenal and got hammered by City. United are going to be the only team to have played Arsenal and City, twice in their first 19 games.
@Alan Kenny: don’t really understand your point. I don’t think it’s too unreasonable to say that playing city and arsenal will represent a bigger test than any of the opposition they have had so far post world cup.
We’ve made good progress from where we were this time last year. If we keep up this momentum 4th spot is achievable especially when the likes of Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea haven’t been as consistent as we have. This isn’t a team that can win the league we’re at minimum a year or two away from that but if we can at least establish ourselves as a team who can make at least make top 3 and maybe a domestic cup win or something it’s a step in the right direction. And that’s just from the on field perspective as we can only speculate on what may occur if the owners sell. And sure maybe I’m just enjoying being optimistic as a United fan for the first time in a long time but it feels nice
Not a bad win for a ten man outfit #martialisalazywastergetridofhimyesterday
@Liam P Dunne: manager says otherwise… But I’m sure you know best…
@Markonline: I know he’s the worst I’ve seen in 44 years.
@Liam P Dunne: after all that time you’d think they’d listen to you so…..or maybe not?
I seem to remember Ole having a great start too. How did that end up?
@Eoin McCarthy: ‘There’s only two types of manager. Those who’ve been sacked and those who will be sacked in the future.’
@Eoin McCarthy: absolutely fantastic to see fans of other teams obviously starting to worry about Manchester United again. All trying to convince yourselves that they aren’t improving. Will they win the league this season? No. City might well beat them easy next weekend but without doubt United are improving
@Brian Dunne: it’ll be a hard task to beat city and arsenal, I think both games will be close. The improvement in Uniteds play is the most obvious thing in the premier league so far but some just refuse to see it.
@Eoin McCarthy: I was mistaken before, bots are getting more thick
@Brian Dunne: I’m not worried. I’m just fascinated by recency bias. If, after 38 games, United qualify for the champions league, well then fair play to ETH. But he’s achieved nothing yet. Ole’s first 18 games, United looked great. The middle part of the 2019/20 season, they looked great. The middle part of the 2020/21, they looked great. United fans were singing Ole’s praises during those periods just like they are of ETH now and yet, there were no trophies.
@Eoin McCarthy: for recency bias, read ‘being a football fan’. You are allowed be pleased when your team are doing well, even if they’ve won nothing. Trophies are the ultimate aim and would be great, but it’s ok to celebrate individual games and moments too. Most united fans are more realistic then you give them credit for. Don’t think many are expecting a trophy fest this season, but securing top 4 and maybe one of the cups would represent a great season for ETH imo.
@A$AP ETH: exactly. If a football fan can’t get excited by his team doing well then I’ll give it up and watch bowls instead. United have genuine world class players now in varane and casemiro. They have top class playere such as ericksen, bruno, rashford, martinez etc. They have a young excellent coach, jaysis even the glazers are talking about selling! Exciting times for United fans.
I’m getting a nice few quid atm by backing Rashford “shots on target”. Lost my stones over the last year with “Ronaldo specials”. Keep the pressure off for a while.