Vladimir Putin accuses ‘certain American bodies’ of conspiring to keep Russia out of Olympics
The excluded nation has already spent more than US$17 million preparing its team for the Pyeongchang games, which kick off in February
Russian President Vladimir Putin thinks he knows why the International Olympic Committee has not yet approved Russia to compete in next year’s Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. And it does not have to do with accusations that Russia maintained a widespread, state-sanctioned doping programme for years.
Instead, Putin said in televised comments on Thursday, Russia’s possible exclusion is the doing of the United States.
“We aren’t simply guessing about this, we know about it,” Putin said, according to Associated Press.
His theory goes like this: The IOC depends on sponsorship income, much of which comes from “certain American bodies”. It is these unnamed bodies, which Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov clarified on Friday are “state [structures], including through social and non-government organisations”, which are giving “clear signals” to keep Russia out or – if they are feeling generous – to allow Russian athletes to compete under a neutral flag. Putin said both outcomes would be “degrading” to the country, which hosted the 2014 Games and, according to Russian cable news outlet RT, has already spent more than US$17 million preparing Team Russia for the Pyeongchang Olympics that kick off in February.
