The IOC has banned the Russian Olympic team from the '18 Pyeongchang Games as punishment for its extensive state-run doping operation in Sochi, but individual athletes may be permitted to compete under a neutral Olympic flag if they are untouched by the scandal. Attention now turns to the highest levels of the Russian government, which has not ruled out a total boycott in response. Within minutes of the announcement today, Russian state broadcaster VGTKR said it would not broadcast the Games if the Russian team is not there.
If approved by the IOC, individuals will participate under a generic flag and be identified as “Olympic athletes from Russia.” This includes team sports such as hockey, bobsled and curling. While not the most severe option the IOC had at its disposal, today’s decision marks the first time an entire country’s Olympic leadership has been banned for doping violations. "We have never seen any such manipulation and cheating and this has caused unprecedented damage to Olympism and sport," said IOC-appointed investigator and former Switzerland President Samuel Schmid.
The lack of an official Russian presence at the Games has several high-profile implications: In the event of a Gold Medal for a Russian athlete, organizers will play the Olympic Anthem and raise the Olympic Rings flag. Russian flags and symbols will not be allowed at the Opening Ceremony; and no Russian officials will be credentialed for the Games. All sanctions could be challenged at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Before today, 25 individual Russians had already been banned by the IOC committee investigating specific cases.
