International Olympic Committee ready to take Russia back

The International Olympic Committee is ready to take Russia back, the head of the organization Thomas Bach said.

"Russia was subjected to sanctions, the word "Russia" will not be in historical books about the 2018 Olympics .We are now ready to accept Russia back and support all the reforms that Russia has conducted and is conducting," Bach said at a press conference in Lausanne.

In December of 2017, the IOC Executive Committee decided to temporarily suspend the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). Russian athletes were admitted to the Pyeongchang Olympics in South Korea as "Olympic athletes from Russia." The Russians performed under the neutral Olympic flag. After the Winter Games, the membership of the Russian Olympic Committee at the International Olympic Committee was automatically restored.

Thomas Bach pointed out Moscow's readiness to "turn the page."

"They (Russia - ed.) took the message about the need for change, and one can see these changes: the new Russian Olympic Committee, the new RUSADA, new people at the Ministry for Sport. There are changes in the mindset. We support these initiatives and believe that they are very important," Bach said.