International Olympic Committee calls for Russia's exclusion from sporting events
The International Olympic Committee is asking other major sports organizations around the world to ban athletes from Russia and Belarus amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, multiple sources reported early Monday morning.
The IOC's proclamation comes as other major governing bodies in international sports have already canceled games and events in which Russian athletes were scheduled to participate. The bans have extended to cover athletes from Belarus as well, since Russia is using the neighboring country to station troops for its military strikes.
The IOC has also stripped Russian president Vladimir Putin of the Olympic Order he was issued in 2001.
These actions follow criticism of FIFA, which announced it will not fully ban Russia from competing in the upcoming World Cup and allow its athletes can compete under a different name -- much like the IOC has allowed at the last two Olympics.
Other major sports bodies, such as the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), are on the cusp of not hosting Russia in upcoming events this year after other countries have announced they won't compete against the country.
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