(ATR) The spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin is calling for a calm, unemotional response to the sanctions the IOC slammed on Russia Tuesday for anti-doping violations.
"Now emotions should be kept down and the decisions taken by the IOC on our country should be thoroughly analyzed before making any accusations on this account," is how Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained it to reporters in Moscow the morning after the IOC decision in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The IOC has suspended the Russian Olympic Committee and its ability to field a team for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games this February in PyeongChang. Athletes allowed to compete from Russia must be cleared of any doping issues and will be designated as Olympic Athlete from Russia. They will not use a national uniform or flag and the anthem will not be played at medal ceremonies.
A $15 million fine has been levied on Russia by the IOC to recover costs of the investigation into the unprecedented doping scandal that appears to have begun after the 2010 Vanocuver Winter Games. Russia finished with just 10 medals in Vancouver, 33 in Sochi to lead the medals table.
In just in the past few weeks, actions by the IOC reanalyzing the drug testing carried out on every Russian from Sochi 2014 have disqualified 25 athltetes and now has relegated Russia to fourth in the medals tally at its hometown Olympics.
While Putin has supposedly declared that he will not agree to a neutral Russian team if that is one of the outcomes dictated by the IOC, in his comments to reporters Wednesday, Peskov did not sound like his boss was ready to react.
"The situation is serious, and it requires thorough analysis. One should not be carried away by emotions," Peskov said.
The IOC has left open the chance that improvements in Russia could lead to a lifting of the suspension of the ROC in time for the closing ceremonies in PyeongChang. Such a development would likely involve negotiations and communications between Russia and the IOC.
Appeals have been lodged to the Court of Arbitration of Sport by 22 of the Russian winter athletes disqualified from Sochi by the recent decisions of IOC Disciplinary Commissions. The 22 athletes seek decisions before the start of the PyeongChang Games.
Peskov says he was not aware of any plans by Putin to speal publicly Wednesday about the IOC decision.
Written and reported in Lausanne by Ed Hula.
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