MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has sanctioned three Russian bobsledders Aleksandr Kasyanov, Aleksei Pushkarev and Ilvir Khuzin over violation of anti-doping rules, declaring them ineligible for any Olympic Games and stripping them of their medals and diplomas for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, the organization said Wednesday in a statement on its website.
The IOC release also reads that the reasoning for these decisions will be communicated later.
IOC sanctions three Russian athletes as part of Oswald Commission findings https://t.co/OAvjggQj55
— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) November 29, 2017
Hours after the IOC announcement Chairman of the Russian Bobsleigh Federation Aleksandr Zubkov said that he believed the IOC would decide to ban the Russian national team from participating in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, which "would be a blow to the sports in general, not only Russian sports."
"Earlier, it was sports first, and now it is politics first and then sports. Politics is deeply meddling in sports," Zubkov added.
The news comes after the Olympic Committee has already banned several Russian athletes for life thus depriving Moscow of the first place in the medal count at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics amid WADA's decision not to reinstate the Russian National Anti-Doping Agency after finding it non-compliant with the anti-doping code.
READ MORE: WADA Foundation Board Declares RUSADA Non-Compliant With Anti-Doping Code
READ MORE: Russia Ban from 2018 Olympics 'Unacceptable' Before IOC Commisions Reach Verdict
In order to investigate into alleged doping probe fraud and to decide on appropriate sanctions and measures, two disciplinary commissions were established. The IOC intends to make the final decision on Russia's participation in the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games in December after the commission led by Oswald, tasked with re-verifying doping probes of Russian athletes from 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, finishes its work.
