ROC Rejects Possibility For Russian Athletes To Compete Under Neutral Flag At Olympics

ROC Rejects Possibility for Russian Athletes to Compete Under Neutral Flag at Olympics

Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) President Stanislav Pozdnyakov on Thursday rejected any possibility for Russian athletes to compete at the Olympics under a neutral flag and made assurances that Russia's national team will take part in the upcoming games

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th November, 2019) Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) President Stanislav Pozdnyakov on Thursday rejected any possibility for Russian athletes to compete at the Olympics under a neutral flag and made assurances that Russia's national team will take part in the upcoming games.

The World Anti-Doping Agency's Compliance Review Committee on Monday recommended that Russia be banned from applying for hosting international tournaments for four years. If the recommendations are heeded, only "clean" Russian athletes will be allowed to compete in the largest international tournaments and only under a neutral status.

"There can be no talk about a neutral flag. If you carefully study the Olympic charter, you can find the appropriate section, which clearly regulates things related to a flag, anthem, and so on," Pozdnyakov said at an ROC meeting in Moscow.

The meeting was attended by representatives of sports federations, regional Olympic councils, Olympic academies and other affiliates of the ROC, as well as well-known coaches and athletes.

"The ROC does not have any problems. The Russian team will take part in the Olympics. Olympic athletes from Russia competed in Pyeongchang [2018 Winter Olympics], because the work of the ROC was temporarily suspended. Now, the ROC will form the [Olympic] team independently," he added.

WADA's executive committee will decide on the recommendation on December 9.