Germany’s top Olympic official proposes Russia ban
MOSCOW — The president of the German Olympic Committee has called for Russia to be banned from the 2018 and 2020 Olympics if sports bosses there are found to have known about state-sponsored doping.
Alfons Hoermann told Die Welt newspaper that bans from the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and the 2020 summer games in Tokyo would provide a “clear signal” of zero tolerance for doping. Twelve Russian medallists from the 2014 Sochi Olympics were accused of benefiting from a massive doping coverup scheme.
World Anti-Doping Agency investigations have accused Russian government officials and anti-doping leaders of running the scheme, but not the Russian Olympic Committee.
Hoermann says if further investigations confirm state-backed doping and show ROC involvement, it would be reasonable for the International Olympic Committee to ban Russia from the 2018 and 2020 games. IOC president Thomas Bach was Hoermann’s predecessor as head of the German Olympic body.