Winter Olympics 2022 – What is Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and why are Russia banned from Games?

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games gets underway on Wednesday, with countries from across the globe competing in the biggest show on snow and ice, and one of those nations will be the Russian Olympic Committee or ROC for short. There will undoubtedly be a bit of head scratching from a few viewers seeing the acronym for the first time, so we’re here to help if this applies to you! Ad/> HOW MANY ROC ATHLETES WILL BE AT THE OLYMPICS? Beijing 2022Which nations and athletes have the most Winter Olympic medals of all time?29 MINUTES AGO Well, as it turns out, quite a lot! There will be 204 athletes competing in the 2022 Winter Games as “neutrals” using the ROC moniker.

Unlike most of the competitors, these athletes will not hear their country’s national anthem if they are fortunate enough to finish on the podium in their respective events. The Russia national flag and the national anthem is going to be absent from the games, due to the Russia National Olympic Committee currently being banned from competing in major sporting events.

Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics LIVE — build-up as Games edge closer A-list line-up of winter sport stars to lead Discovery’s Beijing 2022 coverage across Europe WHY ARE RUSSIA BANNED FROM THE OLYMPICS? Naturally, you will then be led to asking the above question. The answer involves a decision which shocked the sporting world, and one which will have huge ramifications for many years to come.

In December 2019, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), gave Russia a four-year ban from competing at all major sporting events. This included both the Summer and Winter Games, but Russia’s appeals subsequently saw the ban reduced to two years.