The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has banned Russia from the 2018 Olympics in South Korea this February. The Russian team has been banned due to evidence of doping in previous Olympics. Russia’s “clean” athletes will be allowed to compete as an OAR (Olympic athlete from Russia) with a neutral flag. Following the IOC’s announcement, President Putin said that he will not forbid athletes from participating in the Games, however, some Russian athletes are expected to boycott the competition. The standards in several sports, including hockey and figure skating, are expected to be lower at the 2018 Games without the Russian powerhouse.