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Russia Still Tops Sochi Table Despite Losing Medals to Doping, Says Kremlin

Valery Sharifulin / TASS

The Kremlin says that the disqualification of a spate of Russian athletes cannot take away the medals won by Russia at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Norway, Canada and the United States toppled Russia in the medal table this month after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ruled to strip the host country of 9 medals due to doping.

The IOC is expected to decide next week whether to allow Russia to compete at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics in South Korea in February.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Russia will review the latest decisions of the IOC to strip Russian athletes of Sochi medals.

“It’s very difficult to steal the victory that was achieved, especially such an eternal victory that will stay with our national team and our heroic athletes forever,” Peskov was cited as saying by the state-run TASS news agency.

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