IOC’s Bach says Russia ban is to protect athletes, not punish them
Russian athletes and officials who have been banned from international sports because of the war in Ukraine are being protected rather than punished, International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said Friday.
Most sports bodies have followed the IOC guidance given on Feb. 28 four days after Russia began its invasion by taking teams and athletes out of their international competitions. In soccer, Russian teams were removed from World Cup qualifying for men and women.
Russian soccer is challenging those decisions and others at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and Bach’s speech Friday will likely be echoed by defense lawyers at multiple pending hearings.
