IOC Calls for Block on Russia Hosting Sports Events

MOSCOW -- The International Olympic Committee said today it is exploring "legal options" whether to ban Russia from this summer's Olympic Games, and called for the country to be barred from hosting international sporting competitions over what the IOC said was a "shocking" state-sponsored cover-up of doping by Russian athletes.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) recommended on Monday that Russia be excluded from the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro this summer after a new WADA investigation found Russia's sports ministry, helped by the F.S.B. security service, had created a system for letting dozens of athletes compete dirty, in particular at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

Following an emergency meeting to discuss WADA's findings, the IOC held off on making a decision on that recommendation, saying it will "explore legal options" regarding a collective ban, balancing it against the "right of individual justice."

There is an ongoing court hearing in Switzerland, where the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is considering appeals from Russian track and field athletes against an earlier ban barring them from competing in Rio. That ban was imposed by track and field's top body, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in June in response to WADA findings around the same doping system.

At least 67 Russian track and field athletes have appealed that collective ban. If the CAS rules in their favor, it might set a precedent that would discourage the IOC from imposing a general ban on all Russian athletes from every sport.

The IOC said in its statement today it would have to take that decision into account. The CAS hearing began today, but a verdict was expected to be made public on Thursday, July 21.

However, the IOC did impose a severe measures on Russia, saying it would not organize or support any events in Russia and calling on all winter sports federations not to hold their own championships there.

"The IOC will not organise or give patronage to any sports event or meeting in Russia," the statement published by the IOC read, noting that this included the 2019 European Games, one of Europe's largest sporting events.

That call also raised difficult questions for FIFA, soccer's international body, which is due to hold the 2018 soccer World Cup in Russia. Though the IOC recommendations do not directly affect FIFA, it appeared the body would have to explain why it considered Russia acceptable to host events, when the IOC did not.

The IOC also barred all officials from Russia's sports ministry from attending the Rio Olympics, meaning Russia's sports minister himself won't be allowed to spectate.

The IOC also appeared to raise other approaches to a ban, calling on international sporting federations to immediately open inquiries into Russian athletes and officials from their sports and if necessary to impose "sanctions."

Ahead of the IOC decision, Russia has sought to limit the damage from the WADA report. Russian authorities today suspended almost every official implicated in the report, including two senior sports ministry officials. Russia's sports minister also suggested that Russia's equivalent of the F.B.I. would be opening an investigation into the report.

But Russian authorities have largely dismissed the report as baseless, with President Vladimir Putin suggesting it was part of a U.S. conspiracy. Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko told the Interfax news service, "there are no state doping programs in Russia."