FILE — IOC Bans Russia from 2018 Winter Olympics SOCHI, RUSSIA — FEBRUARY 02: The Olympic Rings are displayed while workers prepare the Olympic Cauldron ahead of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Olympic Park on February 2, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Martin Rose/Getty Images)
Camera IconFILE — IOC Bans Russia from 2018 Winter Olympics SOCHI, RUSSIA — FEBRUARY 02: The Olympic Rings are displayed while workers prepare the Olympic Cauldron ahead of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Olympic Park on February 2, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Martin Rose/Getty Images) Credit: Getty Images

Russia has been banned from sending a team to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Korea due to doping scandal

Staff writersNews Corp Australia

READING LEVEL: RED

THE International Olympic Committee (IOC) has banned the Russian Olympic Committee from sending a team of athletes to the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea after it emerged the government supported the illegal doping of athletes.

The IOC said individual Russian competitors would still be able to compete “under strict conditions” but not for the national team.

The decision was announced this week after the committee examined evidence of Russian doping over several years, including during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

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Doping describes when athletes use prohibited drugs or methods to improve their training and increase their performance levels in competition. Each sport and competition has its own set of rules around the use of drugs and when athletes or nations break the rules, there are consequences.

Woman waves a Russian flag at the IOC headquarters.
Camera IconWoman waves a Russian flag at the IOC headquarters. Credit: AFP

The IOC also banned Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko from the Winter Olympics for life over his involvement as the Russian Sports Minister during the Sochi Games.

Nations have in the past been barred from taking part in the Olympics but none has ever been handed a blanket* suspension over doping.

IOC President Thomas Bach.
Camera IconIOC President Thomas Bach. Credit: Getty Images, Mark Runnacles/Getty Images

“This was an unprecedented attack on the integrity of the Olympic Games and sport,” said IOC president Thomas Bach.

“The IOC ... has issued proportional sanctions for this systemic manipulation while protecting the clean athletes.”

The IOC’s decision does offer some Russian athletes a path to competing in the Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea — although that will be by invitation only and dependent on a stringent testing program.

Those athletes who do go to the Games, which start on February 9, will participate under the name “Olympic Athlete from Russia”.

They will compete with a uniform carrying that name, while the Olympic anthem* — and not the Russian one — will be played at any medal ceremony.

Australian 2018 Winter Olympics chef de mission Ian Chesterman said the right call was made.

“This is an appropriate and considered response by the IOC, punishing those involved in the blatant cheating, the systematic manipulation that took place during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games while allowing clean athletes to compete in PyeongChang,” Mr Chesterman said.

Former Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko Russian and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in 2011.
Camera IconFormer Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko Russian and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in 2011. Credit: AP

“The culprits*, the corrupt, have been dealt with. The offending athletes from Sochi have been

banned for life from the Olympic Games, and Russia, the host nation and custodian of the Games for that period, has been directly punished.”

Russia has been stripped of 11 of its 33 Sochi medals for cheating, meaning they have lost their position at the top of the medals table to Norway.

GLOSSARY

moderate: not very extreme

blanket: covering everything

anthem: team or country song

culprits: guilty people

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

Activity 1.

Why has Russia been banned from sending a team to the Winter Olympics?

Write down one fact that shows that there has been a problem with the Russian Winter Olympic team.

List the decisions that the IOC has made about Russian athletes who might complete at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Extension

Imagine that you are the head of the IOC.

Write a piece of persuasive writing, such as a letter to the editor or an opinion piece for a newspaper.

Your purpose is to persuade your readers that your decision about the Russian Olympic team is the right thing to do.

Use information and facts in the story to help you.

Time: allow 50 minutes to complete this activity

Curriculum links: English. Ethical Capability, Health and Physical Education

Activity 2. What do you know about the Winter Olympics?

List as many sports that are in the Winter games as you can think of. Find out more about the Winter Games and add more sports to your list.

Choose one sport that you think is interesting and design a poster for it. Your poster should show why this sport is so interesting and should encourage people to follow it during the 2018 games.

Extension:

Imagine that you are a Russian athlete who has never taken part in doping or cheating.

Write a letter to the head of the IOC explaining your opinion of the decisions about your team. Include information from the article to help you.

Time: allow 110 minutes to complete this activity

Curriculum links: Health and Physical Education, Visual Communication Design, English, Ethical Capability

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Originally published as Russia banned from 2018 Olympics