IOC: Russia banned from Pyeongchang, athletes can compete under neutral flag

[mikecole141]

https://www.tsn.ca/ioc-russia-banned...-flag-1.935184

Russia will not be allowed to compete in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee executive board announced Tuesday.Russian athletes who are considered "clean" can compete under the name “Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR)” and wear a uniform bearing that name and under the Olympic Flag. The Olympic Anthem will be played in any ceremony involving a Russian athlete. Russia could refuse the offer and boycott the games.

Big story with stones still to fall to see what the ramifications will be for Hockey in Korea. Will the KHL opt out of IIHF? Will they then prevent contracted players from other countries from participating?

[mingus_md]

Wow... it is really gong to be interesting to see how this plays out, especially related to hockey. If the KHL does decide not to send players, this will have a huge impact on the Olympic teams and the relationship between the IIHF and the KHL going forward.

[pwaldo]

Don't know why anybody would even want to go to the Olympics games in South Korea when there is a supposed threat from North Korea. I mean it seems like the perfect target for NK to attack.

[creasecollector]

Crazy that all of this is going down. Interestingly waiting to see what will happen with all of the KHL players who are looking to represent their respective countries at these Olympic games.

[apod417]

Sounds like Russia is going to let its qualified athletes compete under the neutral flag, this doesn't answer the hockey question as I don't think the IIHF will allow a neutral flag(essentially Russia) to compete.

[30ranfordfan]

It will remove one of the favorites to win the tourney, but I'm betting you're right.

There are 12 teams in the tourney, that qualified one of three ways:

Top 8 rankings by IIHF, following the 2015 World Championships.
3 More won qualifying spots
1 More (South Korea) is the host

Russia is going to get bumped, and replaced by Belarus is my guess (They were 9th, after the 2015 WC, and did not already qualify)

Sounds like Russia is going to let its qualified athletes compete under the neutral flag, this doesn't answer the hockey question as I don't think the IIHF will allow a neutral flag(essentially Russia) to compete.