The Russian anthem was on the verge of a ban on the Olympics-2018 in South Korea

Referring to several unnamed sources, the New York Times writes that in a situation where there are less than 100 days before the Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Olympic officials are increasingly demanding to declare how Russia will be punished for distorting the results at several Olympic Games , especially at the Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014, when a complex doping scheme was used with state support.

It is not yet clear to which variant the IOC leadership is inclined at the moment, if it takes any measures at all.

An investigation, led by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren, concluded that about a thousand Russian athletes were involved in frauds in 30 sports that participated in global competitions from 2011 to 2015 a year.

Many athletes, anti-doping officials and Olympic officials from some countries are calling on the IOC President Thomas Bach to endure severe punishment, writes New York Times.

Top Olympic officials are also considering an option in which Russian athletes at the Olympics in Pyeongchang will perform under a neutral flag or wear a neutral uniform, the newspaper notes, citing sources familiar with the situation.

It is expected that the decision will be made on December 5 at the meeting of the IOC Executive Committee.

A group of 17 anti-doping departments in September published a letter demanding to exclude Russia from the participants in the Olympics in Pyeongchang.

“The failure to promptly investigate doping by individual Russian athletes poses a clear and present danger to clean athletes around the world and at the 2018 Winter Olympics,” said the letter, which was signed by the US and UK anti-doping agencies, among others.

It is expected that if the IOC decides to apply severe sanctions, the reaction of Russia will be angry, even refusing to send its team to the Olympics, writes New York Times.

“The position is unequivocal for everyone - the Russians will not perform under the neutral flag at the Olympic Games,” said Alexander Zhukov, head of the Russian Olympic Committee, quoted by the Russian website R-Sport. - They will play for their country. This option is not even considered.

The participation of the Russian team in the winter Olympics-2018, provided that there are no athletes at the opening ceremony, and the national anthem of the Russian Federation is completely banned, is unacceptable, says Alexei Pushkov, head of the Federation Council’s information policy committee.

“I am convinced: participation in the Olympics in the event of a ban on the anthem of Russia and its exclusion from the opening ceremony is unacceptable. You cannot support the triumph of Russophobia, ”he wrote on his page in Twitter.