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2018 WINTER OLYMPICS

IOC set to reinstate Russian membership before 2018 Olympics are over — Russian IOC member

As a result of suspended membership, Russian athletes will compete under the Olympic flag, in the status of an "Olympic athlete from Russia"

IOC honorary member Vitaly Smirnov EPA/YURI KOCHETKOV

IOC honorary member Vitaly Smirnov

© EPA/YURI KOCHETKOV

PYEONGCHANG /South Korea/, February 7. /TASS/. The International Olympic Committee intends to restore the membership of the Russian Olympic Committee before the 2018 Olympic Games in South Korea's PyoengChang are over, IOC honorary member Vitaly Smirnov told reporters on Wednesday.

Read also

IOC commission denies 15 Russian athletes access to Olympic Games

"Undoubtedly, the IOC is set to do this [reinstate Russia’s membership]. Yesterday, you could hear IOC members saying in their speeches that Russia is a very important partner and member of the Olympic movement. No one except [former WADA chief] Richard Pound has doubts about this. I have reasons to believe that we should be reinstated," he said.

IOC suspended Russia’s membership on December 5, 2017. As a result, Russian athletes will compete under the Olympic flag, in the status of an "Olympic athlete from Russia."

The Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang will be held on February 9-25.

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2018 Winter Olympics

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Mossad used dummies to test how much explosive is required to be just enough to hurt the pager’s owner, but not the person next to him

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Moldova’s leadership "has repeatedly expressed its readiness to work with all dialogue partners to reduce potential risks and mitigate problems that may affect people and the regional economy"

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