International Olympic Committee bans Russia from 2018 Olympics in political provocation

http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/12/06/olym-d06.html
Date Written:  2017-12-06
Publisher:  World Socialist Web Site
Year Published:  2017
Resource Type:  Article
Cx Number:  CX21780

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board announced Tuesday that it had decided to ban the Russian Olympic team from participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.

Abstract: 
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Excerpt:

The decision is a political provocation. It has much less to do with steroid use by Russian athletes than with US imperialism's aim to humiliate and isolate Russia.

The Russian flag and national anthem will be neither seen nor heard at the games. Russian athletes will be forced to undergo a series of demeaning anti-doping tests that will not apply to other countries' athletes. Even if the Russian athletes make it to the games, they will be effectively stripped of their nationality, forced to compete as "Olympic Athletes from Russia" (OARs) and barred from wearing Russian uniforms. If Russian athletes win medals, the Olympic flag will be raised as the Olympic anthem plays at the medal ceremony.