Receiving an unprecedented punishment, Russia has been barred from the 2018 Olympic games following a report regarding “the systematic manipulation of the anti-doping system in Russia,” the International Olympic Committee said Tuesday.
While IOC decided to suspend the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), it did say that individual Russian athletes will be invited to compete in the games “under strict conditions.”
“These invited athletes will participate, be it in individual or team competitions, under the name ‘Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR),'” the IOC said. “They will compete with a uniform bearing this name and under the Olympic Flag. The Olympic Anthem will be played in any ceremony.”
The executive board of the International Olympic Committee made the decision following a report by former president of Samuel Schmid, which addressed “the systematic manipulation of the anti-doping system in Russia. This report also addresses in particular the manipulation at the anti-doping laboratory at the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014 which targeted the Olympic Games directly.”
In addition to suspending the Russian Olympic Committee and barring the committee from the winter games in PyeongChang in 2018, the committee has also decided not to accredit any official from the Russian Ministry of Sport for the winter games, and to exclude the then-Minister of Sport, Mr Vitaly Mutko, and his then Deputy Minister, Mr. Yuri Nagornykh, from any participation in all future Olympic Games, among other measures.
The individual athletes will be invited at the discretion of a panel, the IOC said, which can only consider athletes “who have qualified according to the qualification standards of their respective sport.”
The athletes must also be considered clean to the satisfaction of the panel, and they must not have been disqualified or declared ineligible for any anti-doping rule violation.
Stars at Rio Olympics Who Didn't Actually Compete, From Zac Efron to Leslie Jones (Photos)
Many actors and models flocked to Rio de Janeiro to support their teams in the 2016 Olympic Games.
Zac Efron
On Tuesday, four-time gold medal-winning gymnast Simone Biles finally met her crush. She shared several photos and even a video of the actor giving the star Olympian a quick kiss on the cheek. The actor also promised Biles' teammate Aly Raisman a pizza date.
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Gisele Bundchen
The supermodel stole the show at the opening ceremony as she took the final catwalk of her career and danced with people in the crowd.
NBC
Matthew McConaughey
The "Free State of Jones" actor has been extremely supportive at games like swimming, beach volleyball and rugby. He also sent a congratulatory tweet to Michael Phelps.
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Boomer Phelps
The three-month-old son of Michael Phelps stole the show while his daddy was winning five gold medals in Rio. He also dressed in patriotic attire such as stars and stripes and, in between Phelps' wins, the star swimmer rushed to his son's side to shower him with kisses. Boomer's Instagram account has over a half-million followers.
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Leslie Jones
Draped in the American flag, Jones has been cheering for U.S.A. with passionate patriotism that NBC — the official network that’s airing the Rio games — couldn’t help but notice. She was then enlisted by the network to cover the Games in Rio. The "Ghostbusters" actress has since been live-tweeting almost all events.
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Adriana Lima
The supermodel carried the Olympic torch through the streets of Rio during the Opening Ceremony.
"I am grateful to experience this incredible honor and dream to carry the Olympic torch, so humbled to be carrying in my home country," she wrote on Instagram.
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Alessandra Ambrosio
Both Ambrosio and Lima were announced as NBC's food and culture correspondents for the Olympics in July. Ambrosio's Instagram is full of pictures all-things Olympic Games.
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Eddie Redmayne
The "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" actor flew to Brazil as a brand ambassador for Omega watches. He has also been taking tons of photos with athletes, like British politician and former track and field athlete, Sebastian Coe.
Twitter
Gigi Hadid
The model declared her support on Instagram, posting a photo from her Vogue cover shoot with decathlete Ashton Eaton.
"Wishing my @voguemagazine cover bud, Ashton @weareeaton, and all my @TEAMUSA friends an incredible, safe, and successful Olympic Games!!" she wrote.
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Matthew McConaughey and Boomer Phelps were all about the 2016 Games in Rio
Many actors and models flocked to Rio de Janeiro to support their teams in the 2016 Olympic Games.