IOC WILL REVIEW RUSSIAN CASES

KOREA» The PYEONGCHANG, SOUTH International Olympic Committee says it will review the cases of 15 Russian athletes ahead of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in the light of a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams said Saturday: “Those 15 names will be given to the invitation review panel.”

Adams said “our decision will come before the games start (on Friday)” and that “we reserve our right to review and appeal the CAS decision.”

The CAS ruling on Thursday overturned the doping bans on 28 Russian athletes, citing insufficient evidence. Russia said it wants to send 15 of the 28 to Pyeongchang, including gold medal-winning skeleton slider Alexander Tretiakov and crosscountry ski gold medalist Alexander Legkov.

The IOC invitation review panel is chaired by former French sports minister Valerie Fourneyron.

Rallies backing patriotic unity.

Tens of thousands of Russians have gathered in rallies across the country to express patriotic unity and support for Russian athletes in the upcoming Winter Olympics.

Police said 60,000 people attended Saturday’s rally at Moscow’s Vasilyevsky Spusk, an area adjacent to Red Square. Similar gatherings of hundreds or thousands were held in other cities.

The rallies were organized by the government-initiated Civic Chamber and marked the 75th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi forces in the Battle of Stalingrad, a key World War II turning-point and a wellspring of national pride.

Adjustment in altitude.

U.S. Speedskating needed an altitude adjustment after getting shut out in Sochi.

The U.S. team was left off the medal stand in 2014 after training too long at altitude even though those games were held near sea level in Russia.

Fast forward four years and the Americans have adjusted their preparation routine to spend more time training at the Pettit National Ice Center, one of the sport’s important venues, ahead of the Pyeongchang Games . Like Pettit, the oval in South Korea is at sea level.

Vatican invited to IOC session.

CITY» In an Olympic

VATICAN first, the Vatican has been invited to attend an IOC session ahead of the Winter Games in an observer role.