Off the wire
• 97 high-ranking officials investigated by procuratorates in 5 yrs  • China repatriates 141 fugitive officials since 2015  • Chinese astronaut debuts after ESA cave mission  • Mexican President apologizes for wife's purchase of luxury house  • Commentary: Countries should join hands in combating East Turkistan terrorist forces  • Next six years to be "golden age" of Philippine construction: budget chief  • Morocco busts terror cell planning attack at sensitive targets  • Mediterranean countries urge serious moves to adapt to climate change  • Palestinians accuse Jewish settlers of arson attack in northern West Bank  • Roundup: Kashmir lifts ban on newspapers, printing still suspended  
You are here: 　 Home

Pound says IOC "very reluctant" to ban Russia

Xinhua, July 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is "very reluctant" to ban Russia from the Rio Games over its doping scandal, said IOC member and former World Anti-Doping Agency chief Dick Pound on Wednesday.

Pound told BBC, "If you are going to do something as dramatic as suspend an entire team you want to make sure that you don't trip over some legal hurdle that you haven't thought of.

"I do get the impression reading between the lines, however, that the IOC is for some reason very reluctant to think about a total exclusion of the Russians."

The IOC executive board's decision on whether 68 Russian athletes can participate in the Games will be made after a Court of Arbitration ruling Thursday. Enditem