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Russians to compete as neutrals at Olympics

 
Russian athletes at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games. Russia's Olympic team has been barred from the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea, an unprecedented punishment for systematic doping handed down by the International Olympic Committee on Dec. 5. [Chang W. Lee/The New York Times]
Russian athletes at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games. Russia's Olympic team has been barred from the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea, an unprecedented punishment for systematic doping handed down by the International Olympic Committee on Dec. 5. [Chang W. Lee/The New York Times]
Published Dec. 5, 2017

The International Olympic Committee says Russian athletes will be able to compete at the upcoming Pyeongchang Olympics as neutrals.

The IOC, which also suspended the Russian Olympic committee and IOC member Alexander Zhukov, says some competitors will be invited to participate as an "Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR)" without their national flag or anthem.

Russia could refuse the offer and boycott the games.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously said it would be humiliating for Russia to compete without national symbols.

The IOC also imposed a fine of $15 million on the Russian Olympic committee.

The committee's decision comes on the heels of evidence that Russia ran an orchestrated doping program at the 2014 Sochi Games.

The IOC did not bar Russia from the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The IOC instead asked sports governing bodies to decide which athletes could compete.