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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

Russia got caught running a state-sponsored doping program [wikipedia.org] for athletes competing in various sports events from 2011-2015. Russia has been banned from competing [bbc.co.uk] in the 2018 Winter Olympics [wikipedia.org] in Pyeongchang, South Korea. However, individual athletes can compete under the Olympic flag [wikipedia.org] if they are cleared by a panel featuring representatives from the International Olympic Commission (IOC), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and the Doping Free Sport Unit of the Global Association of International Sports Federations. They also have to wear a simple English logo [npr.org]:

Russian athletes who compete in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics must wear a simple logo that reads "Olympic Athlete from Russia" — and their uniforms can't include other words or references to their home country, an International Olympic Committee panel said Wednesday.

The IOC's Olympic Athlete from Russia Implementation Group released guidelines for uniforms, accessories and equipment two weeks after Russia was effectively banned [npr.org] from the upcoming Olympics because of a widespread and organized doping campaign.

The ban includes provisions for Russian athletes who are declared "clean" to participate in South Korea. Russian officials say 200 or more athletes [npr.org] could meet the criteria.

The logos are sure to create a stir at the Olympics, an event that is heavy on both symbolism and patriotism. At recent events in Russia, the country's athletes have worn clothes with logos that say their nationality resides in their hearts.

The IOC says the restrictions will apply to competition and training uniforms, along with casualwear, and will cover Russian athletes, coaches and team officials. In addition to limiting the contingent to one or two colors, the fonts "should be in English and as generic as possible," the panel said.

Previously: Former Russian Anti-Doping Boss Dies Suddenly [soylentnews.org]
Sports Doping Agency WADA Says Hackers Lifted Olympic Athletes' Medical Records [soylentnews.org]
Betteridge Asks: Will Russian Doping Scandal Lead to Reform of the Olympics? [soylentnews.org]

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