FIL President Fendt expresses relief as Russian lugers cleared to compete at PyeongChang under the Olympics Flag

Berchtesgaden (RWH) The President of the International Luge Federation (FIL), Germany’s Josef Fendt, expressed his relief on Tuesday evening that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has cleared Russian lugers to compete under strict conditions and under the Olympic Flag at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, Korea. “We can find no evidence to indicate any wrongdoing by Russian lugers. So I am glad that they are able to compete in Korea under strict conditions”, Fendt said via the FIL office in Berchtesgaden.

“The FIL conducted specific additional testing on the Russian athletes. There were no positive cases”, Fendt added. “I therefore believe it is correct that the Russian luge team will compete in the Olympic Games.” Fendt also reiterated the international governing body’s firm belief that all Russian lugers at the Sochi Games in 2014 were clean.

On Tuesday in Lausanne, the IOC Executive Board had decided to suspend the Russian NOC, but creates a path for clean individual athletes to compete in PyeongChang 2018 under strict conditions and under the Olympic Flag. The invitation list will be determined, at its absolute discretion, by a panel chaired by Valerie Fourneyron, Chair of the ITA. The panel will include members of the Pre-Games Testing Task Force: one appointed by WADA, one by the DFSU and one by the IOC, Dr Richard Budgett.