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Monday 4 deceMber 2017
What would banning Russia mean for the Winter Olympics?

By JAMES ELLINGWORTH Ustyugov won two gold
AP Sports Writer and three silver medals at
MOSCOW (AP) — When February’s world champi-
the International Olympic onships in a compelling ri-
Committee board pre- valry with Norwegian Mar-
pares to vote Tuesday on tin Johnsrud Sundby.
whether to ban Russia from If he’s absent from Py-
February’s Winter Olym- eongchang, that opens up
pics, its members will de- opportunities for the Nor-
cide the fate of numerous wegians, plus countries like
medals yet to be won. Finland, Italy and Canada.
If there’s a blanket ban on The United States is hunting
Russia for its doping offens- its first ever women’s cross-
es at the 2014 Olympics — country medal, an easier
or restrictions that prompt task if Russia isn’t there.
Russia to boycott the 2018 The absence of Russia’s top
Games — it could mean biathlete, Anton Shipulin,
the end of compelling would help Germany and
storylines and a slide into France’s medal chances.
irrelevance for the men’s YOUNG STARS BARRED
hockey tournament. A blanket ban for offenses
Gracenote Sports, which from 2014 inevitably hits
forecasts a “virtual medal athletes who weren’t part
table” based on recent of any doping system.
results, predicts Russia will In this Feb. 7, 2014 file photo Alexander Zubkov of Russia carries the national flag as he leads the There’s been no sugges-
team during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia
win 21 medals, six of them Associated Press tion of any wrongdoing by
gold, if it competes in Py- reigning two-time world
eongchang. The men’s hockey tourna- world’s second-strongest qualification — wouldn’t figure skating champion
That puts Russia eighth on ment at the next Winter league, and it’s threaten- be safe if she competes in Evgenia Medvedeva —
predicted gold medals, or Olympics is already the first ing to withdraw all its play- Russia again. not least because she was
joint fifth on total medals. without the NHL’s partici- ers from the Olympics if The issue of Russian doping just 14 years old in February
If Russia is banned, oppor- pation since 1994, but ban- Russia is banned. has caused rifts between 2014.
tunities open up for many ning Russia could diminish it Russia would otherwise be athletes, too. Medvedeva’s teammate
other countries. even further. the gold medal favorite During February’s world Alina Zagitova, also a
Here is a look at more pos- The Moscow-based Kon- thanks to ex-NHL players biathlon championships, medal contender for Py-
sible consequences. tinental Hockey League like Pavel Datsyuk and Ilya French athlete Martin eongchang, was just 11
HOCKEY IN JEOPARDY is widely considered the Kovalchuk, who now play Fourcade walked off the during Sochi.
in the KHL. podium when the Russian Sports like figure skating
The U.S., Canada and oth- mixed relay team — which and curling have seen
er countries also plan to included an athlete newly some accusations of
use KHL players, so losing returned from a doping wrongdoing by athletes
them could deal a heavy ban — was awarded its around the time of the So-
blow to the audience fig- medals. chi Olympics, but no cases
ures of a tournament that’s AHN’S RETURN have resulted in bans.
already struggling to at- One of Pyeongchang’s The only figure skater so far
tract attention. most compelling storylines to have faced an IOC dis-
The International Ice Hock- depends on Russia taking ciplinary panel, 2014 gold
ey Federation called Tues- part. medalist Adelina Sotniko-
day for “full participation of Viktor Ahn was a star va, was cleared.
all clean Russian athletes,” speedskater for South Ko-
saying that punishing Rus- rea under the name Ahn OTHER OPTIONS
sia too harshly would put Hyun-soo, winning three The IOC has never before
“the health of ice hockey Olympic gold medals, but imposed a blanket ban for
at risk.” his career seemed finished doping and refused to do
BACKLASH when he failed to make so for last year’s Summer
A Russia ban could also the team for Vancouver in Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
cause a backlash against 2010. Instead, the IOC passed
athletes perceived to ben- Ahn then stunned skating the decision to the various
efit. fans by switching to Russia sports federations, resulting
Gabriela Koukalova of the and winning three more in Russia being kicked out
Czech Republic, one of the gold medals in Sochi. of track and field — except
biggest names in biathlon, His return home to South for one athlete — and
called for a ban on Russia Korea in a Russian uni- weightlifting, but allowing
on her Facebook page last form for the Pyeongchang Russia to field full teams in
week, only to be deluged Olympics is hotly anticipat- many sports.
with hundreds of insults in ed. The Winter Olympics are
English and Russian. different, not least be-
Alongside sexist putdowns, NORDIC OPPORTUNITIES cause the most serious al-
some suggested Koukalo- With no Russians, the Nor- legations against Russian
va — who is in line to pick dic events would be shak- officials relate to its hosting
up a relay bronze from en up. of the last Winter Games in
2014 due to a Russian dis- Cross-country skier Sergei Sochi in 2014.q