Russia banned from sending team to Winter Games

Russia has been banned from sending a team to February’s Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

The International Olympic Committee announced the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) yesterday, meaning only invited Russian athletes will be allowed to compete and they will be considered neutral competitors.

The decision was reached after the IOC’s 14-strong executive board received a recommendation from a disciplinary commission set up to investigate claims Russia conducted a state-sponsored doping programme that culminated at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.