Russia says IOC reinstates its membership

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has restored the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC)'s membership in the organization following nearly three months of suspension, the ROC President Alexander Zhukov said on Wednesday.

Russian Olympic Committee President Alexander Zhukov speaks during a welcome ceremony for Russia's athletes' team members at Sheremetyevo airport, outside Moscow, Russia, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. [File photo: AP/Pavel Golovkin]

Speaking to the TASS news agency, Zhukov says the IOC decided to lift the ban after finishing examinations of the doping tests taken at the PyeongChang Olympics, practically all of which were negative.

The IOC suspended the ROC membership on Dec. 5, 2017 because of the doping scandal but allowed Russian athletes who tested negative to compete in uniforms bearing the title "Olympic Athlete from Russia."

The IOC said it might lift the ROC ban partially or fully, right after the closing of the PyeongChang Olympics if Russia complied with its demands, including the payment of 15 million U.S. dollars to reimburse the costs incurred by the IOC in the course of the investigation of the doping scandal.

The money, which ROC announced it paid in full last week, would also be used to establish an independent testing authority "to build the capacity and integrity of the global anti-doping system."

The doping scandal was brought to light by a report by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which accused Russian athletes of a widespread doping.

The scandal prevented a large number of Russian athletes and officials from participating in the 2016 Rio Olympics and Paralympics.