Russia plans to pay compensation to the athletes excluded from South Korea ‘on unfounded grounds’

Russian lawmakers have reportedly drafted legislation that would pay compensation to Russian athletes who were “groundlessly excluded” from the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. The law would benefit the athletes who were not allowed to compete even though they were never directly accused of doping, paying these individuals a one-time sum of 10 times the average monthly salary in Russia.

Based on suspicions that the Russian government operates a large-scale doping program, the International Olympic Committee banned Russia’s national team from this year’s Winter Olympics, only permitting individual “clean” athletes to compete under a neutral flag. Many of Russia’s top athletes were not invited to South Korea, including several people who have never been directly accused of using performance-enhancing drugs.

The IOC also refused to extend invitations to Russian athletes vindicated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which annulled the IOC’s sanctions and reinstated their medals won in Sochi.

The 2018 Winter Olympics run from February 8 to February 26.