Russia returns to Olympic fold after less than three months in the cold

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has lifted the Russian Olympic Committee's ban for state-sponsored doping only three days after the 2018 Winter Games' closing ceremony. This means Russia's punishment for systematically doping hundreds of athletes, across all sports and over at least five years, lasted just 85 days. The IOC suspended the Russians on December 5 after a disciplinary commission, chaired by former Swiss president Samuel Schmid, backed the findings of two earlier investigations for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) into the Russia's cheating. This meant only invited Russian athletes were allowed to compete at this month's Games as part of a 'neutral' Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR) delegation. It was originally planned that the ban would be lifted in time for the 168-strong OAR team - the third largest in Pyeongchang - to take part in Sunday's closing ceremony as Russians, provided there were no complaints or fresh controversies. Unfortunately, curler Alexander Krushelnitzky and bobsledder Nadezhda Sergeeva both failed drugs tests in South Korea, with Krushelnitzky losing the bronze medal he had won with his wife in the mixed doubles. Those positives...