Six Russian Cross Country athletes were provisionally suspended on 22^nd December 2016 after the findings in the McLaren Report outlined alleged anti-doping rules violations in connection with the Olympic Winter Games 2014 in Sochi (RUS). The athletes and the Russian National and Cross-Country Ski Associations were duly notified of the disciplinary proceedings and further investigations by the IOC, and the implementation of provisional suspensions by FIS. Following this notification, the athletes appealed the provisional suspension with the demand to expedite the proceedings before the deadline for entry to the Tour de Ski.

After receiving written submissions from the athletes and the response from FIS, the FIS Doping Panel made the unanimous decision on 30^th December 2016 to uphold the provisional suspensions of the Russian Cross Country athletes, Evgeniy Belov, Julia Ivanova, Alexander Legkov, Evgenia Shapovalova, Alexey Petukhov and Maxim Vylegzhanin. The reasons for the Panel’s decision were communicated directly to the athletes. As a result of the decision, all of the above mentioned athletes may not take part in any competitions or national team activities.

As a result of the current circumstances whereby the FIS competition season is in full swing and the competitions and sporting accomplishments of the athletes are being undermined by the shadow of the McLaren Investigation Report, the IOC empowered FIS to undertake follow-up actions in its own competence with the alleged anti-doping rule violations that took place during the period of the Sochi 2014 Games. The six athletes against whom the IOC has opened Disciplinary Proceedings were thereby provisionally suspended from 22 December 2016, in accordance with the FIS Anti-Doping Rules, article 7.9.

• This media release was originally published by the Federation Internationale du Ski (FIS) on 4 January 2017. To access the original, please click here.