Russia’s ban from the Olympic Games has been lifted as the organisers of the world’s biggest sporting event try to draw a line under a scandal that revealed years of state-sponsored doping.
The International Olympic Committee responded to revelations of “systemic” doping by barring the Russian Olympic Committee from the Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, which took place this month.
The decision meant that no athletes were permitted to compete under the Russian flag during the event. But the ban was quickly watered down, with 168 Russians deemed to be “clean” allowed to compete as neutrals under the banner of Olympic Athlete from Russia.