Russia's participation in 2018 Olympics hinges on two IOC commissions

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will take a decision regarding Russias participation in the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea's PyeongChang following relevant findings of its two commissions, the governing body has said.

"For the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, two IOC commissions have been set up to coordinate our response," IOC's press service said on Wednesday, reports Tass.

"They will respect the due process and give all sides a fair chance to be heard. Following this, the IOC will take all appropriate measures and sanctions."

"As regards the competitions currently taking place or planned in Russia - this is a matter for the respective International Federations," the statement added.

"Many of them have already taken action and continue to work closely with WADA."

Last year IOC announced its decision to set up two separate commissions to probe doping abuse allegations in Russian sports as well as alleged involvement of state officials in manipulations with performance enhancing drugs, particularly at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia's Sochi.

The first of the two panels is an inquiry commission chaired by former Switzerland President Samuel Schmid.

The commission is addressing the "institutional conspiracy across summer and winter sports athletes who participated with Russian officials within the Ministry of Sport and its infrastructure, in particular with regard to the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014," according to the IOC.

The second investigative body is a disciplinary commission, chaired by IOC member Denis Oswald. It addresses the question of the alleged doping and manipulation of samples concerning the Russian athletes, who participated in the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014.

"In the context of this disciplinary commission, all the samples of all Russian athletes who participated in Sochi will be re-analysed," the IOC stated last month.

"The re-analysis will be to establish whether there was doping or whether the samples themselves were manipulated."

--IANS

sam/bg