Olympic Committee bans 11 Russian athletes for life

By Yunus Kaymaz

ISTANBUL (AA) – Eleven Russian athletes have been banned for life due to doping offenses during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Friday.

In a statement, the IOC said that among the sanctioned athletes are speed skaters Ivan Skobrev and Artem Kuznetcov, lugers Tatyana Ivanova and Albert Demchenko -- silver medalists in Sochi 2004 -- cross-country skiers Nikita Kryukov, Alexander Bessmertnykh, and Natalia Matveeva, bobsledders Liudmila Udobkina and Maxim Belugin, and ice hockey players Tatiana Burina and Anna Shchukina.

The IOC said that the number of athletes whose doping samples were investigated had risen to 46.

“All 46 of them have been handled, of which three have been filed. As some investigations are still ongoing, it cannot be excluded that there might be new elements that would justify opening further new cases and holding more hearings,” said the statement.

Earlier this month, Russia was banned from next year’s Winter Olympics in South Korea over state-sponsored doping.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) barred athletes from competing under the Russian flag in PyeongChang, although those with a clean record of drug-testing will be able to compete as neutrals.