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IOC responds to sexual abuse scandal, discusses status of Russian athletes

The International Olympic Committee gave its first public comment on the Larry Nassar sex abuse case on Saturday, calling it 'appalling' with plans to address the matter Sunday in its executive board meeting.
A general view of Olympic Rings prior to the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics on February 3, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

As the number of victims grew to at least 265 last week in the Larry Nassar sex abuse case that has enveloped USA Gymnastics, the International Olympic Committee gave its first public comment on the scandal Saturday evening, calling it “appalling,” with plans to address the matter Sunday in its executive board meeting.

“I join everyone by saying how appalling this is and how appalled as a parent you can be when you read these things,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said in response to a USA TODAY Sports question at his opening press briefing in advance of the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympic Games.

“It’s one of the key topics for us to discuss (Sunday),” Adams said. “I know the President (the IOC’s Thomas Bach) is keen to make a statement about that tomorrow as well. It’s very important to us.”

Adams lauded the IOC’s existing guidelines on harassment, but acknowledged that the Nassar scandal has shown that more needs to be done.

“Unfortunately, even the best processes don’t protect us, as we’re seeing in many many sectors of society,” he said. “Sport is one area where unfortunately it seems to be a big problem. It is clearly an issue that has affected all of us.”

Much of the conversation in the days leading to these Olympics has centered on the IOC’s so-called banishment of Russia from these Games. The IOC initially allowed 169 Russian athletes – to be labeled Olympic Athletes from Russia – to compete in the Games. But on Thursday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport announced it was clearing 28 other Russian athletes who competed in Sochi, including 13 athletes who would conceivably be eligible for these Games.

Adams said a decision on the status of those 13 still has not been made by the IOC, but referred to the IOC’s statement after the CAS decision saying the ban on those Russian athletes “remains in place,” adding they will be allowed to compete in Pyeongchang only by invitation of the IOC.

Asked then whether the ban should be seen as a success or failure due to the large number of Russian athletes competing, Adams said, “It’s hard to judge something before it has happened obviously. But I think the fact that we have given individual clean athletes the right to compete is something that anyone who believes in democracy, and liberty, and freedom would agree with.”

Adams said that 75 percent of the Russian athletes who will compete in the Games “have never competed in an Olympic Games before, so they never competed in Sochi. We have given those invitations on the basis of a very, very strict process to try to find athletes who are clean and who we wish to invite.”

Adams said "time will judge” the IOC's actions against Russia. “But I think we can at least be pleased that rather than going for a blanket ban or letting everyone in, we have tried to actually find out on an individual basis for individual young athletes — many of whom have never competed in an Olympic Games before — to try to let those have their Olympic dream, which would be denied if a blanket ban was applied."

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