A group of 17 anti-doping leaders wants the Russian Olympic Committee banned from the upcoming Winter Games.
In a statement released Thursday, the leaders say “sports leaders and organizations should not be given credentials to the Olympics when they intentionally violate the rules and rob clean athletes.”
The statement was signed by leaders of anti-doping agencies in the U.S., Britain, Australia and more than a dozen other countries. It says there should be a path for Russian athletes to compete as neutrals if they can prove they’re subject to strong anti-doping procedures.
A report by investigator Richard McLaren uncovered evidence of a state-sponsored doping system inside Russia at the Sochi Olympics and beforehand. The International Olympic Committee has two panels reviewing that report in order to determine Russia’s fate for next year.
Russian government officials have denied the existence of a state-sponsored program.
IOC elects new ethics commission chair
Former United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon has been elected chair of the International Olympic Committee’s ethics commission.
The South Korean, who served as leader in the U.N. from 2007 through 2016, will take over for Youssoupha Ndiaye.
In his acceptance speech Thursday, Ban called his new task `’a serious responsibility.”
Among his immediate tasks will be a vote-buying scandal involving last year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. A Brazilian IOC member, Carlos Nuzman , is under investigation for his alleged role in a $ 2 million US vote-buying scheme to bring the games to Brazil.
Earlier this week, IOC president Thomas Bach said the committee was awaiting word from Brazilian authorities before determining next steps. One IOC member, Dick Pound, said the committee needs to act more decisively, and the ethics commission should be conducting its own investigation.
