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North Korea banned from the next Olympics
The ‘Hermit Kingdom’ has been banned from the 2022 Winter Olympics because it skipped the Tokyo games this year
The International Olympics Committee (IOC) announced the suspension of the North Korean Olympic Committee until the end of 2022. The Beijing Winter Olympics will run from the 4th-20th of February, 2022.
IOC president Thomas Bach announced the suspension on Wednesday.
“They were in violation of the Olympic Charter, and did not fulfil their obligation as stated in the Olympic Charter to participate in the games of the Olympiad by sending athletes.” Bach said.
North Korea announced in April that it would skip the games over coronavirus concerns.
Bach said that any athlete who qualifies for the games may be able to compete under a neutral flag, in the same way Russian athletes have competed since the countries doping ban.
“Athletes should not suffer from wrong decisions of their agencies or their officials,” Bach said.
“So there we have kept this door open.”
The International Olympic Committee said that North Korea will forfeit an undisclosed amount of money in financial support.
The decision could influence countries considering boycotting the China based Olympics over concerns of human rights.
When asked about this in response to the IOC helping Afhgan athletes receive visas, Bach downplayed the IOC’s ability to influence the actions of the Chinese government.
“There are limitations in our influence,” the IOC president said.
“It’s to take care of humanitarian issues within the Olympic community. This is what we are doing.”
North Korea had 20 athletes compete at the 2018 winter Olympics in South Korea, winning no medals. They previously sent no competitors to the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014.
-By Parker McKenzie
