Oct 19 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Thursday lashed out at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for effectively suspending Russia from the Olympic movement, accusing it of using the Games as a tool of politics and racism.
Last week the IOC banned the Russian Olympic Committee for recognising regional bodies from four territories that Moscow claims to have annexed from Ukraine.
"And that the Games themselves can be used as an instrument of political pressure against people who have nothing to do with politics.
The IOC did not say last week whether they would be admitted to Paris 2024.
Stanislav Pozdnyakov, head of the Russian Olympic Committee, said in Perm that the key thing now was to prepare athletes for the 2028 Games.
Persons:
Vladimir Putin, Putin, Russia's, Dmitry Chernyshenko, Stanislav Pozdnyakov, Maxim Rodionov, Kevin Liffey, Mark Trevelyan
Organizations:
International Olympic Committee, IOC, Russian Olympic Committee, Sporting Power, Olympic, Games, Olympics, Zvezda, Reuters, Thomson
Locations:
Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Perm, Sochi, Paris, Kazan