IOC chief ‘disappointed’ over lifting of Russian doping bans

Pyeongchang, South Korea: A decision by the top sport's court to lift life bans for doping on 28 Russian athletes was "extremely disappointing and surprising", IOC chief Thomas Bach said Sunday.

He said that the decision came as a complete surprise to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

"We would never have expected this," Bach told a press conference in Pyeongchang just five days ahead of the opening of the Winter Olympic Games.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport on Thursday upheld the appeals of the 28 Russians against life bans, ruling that there was "insufficient" evidence that the athletes had benefited from a system of state-sponsored doping at the 2014 Winter Games, hosted by Russia.