Russia says Ahn among top athletes barred from Olympics

MOSCOW (AP) — Several of Russia's top medal hopes for next month's Olympics, including six-time speedskating gold medalist Viktor Ahn, have been barred from the Pyeongchang Games amid the country's ongoing doping scandal.

The Russian Olympic Committee said Tuesday that Ahn, cross-country skier Sergei Ustyugov and biathlete Anton Shipulin have been left out of an International Olympic Committee pool of eligible athletes.

Other officials said that two-time figure skating medalist Ksenia Stolbova and several other speedskaters were excluded. The Russian Figure Skating Federation said the IOC was trying to provoke Russia into a boycott.

ROC senior vice president Stanislav Pozdnyakov said in a statement that he discovered the absences during negotiations with IOC officials on Monday and has asked the Olympic body to explain why they were not included.

Read more: https://wintergames.ap.org/abqjournal/article/russia-says-ahn-among-top-athletes-barred-olympics