Russia could still boycott 2018 Winter Olympics

A final decision on whether Russian athletes will compete under a neutral flag at the 2018 Winter Olympics will be made next week, BBC News reports, citing the International Olympic Committee.

An official statement said Russian sports federations and athletes will meet on 12 December.

The Russian Olympic Committee was banned from the Pyeongchang Games by the IOC on Tuesday for doping offences.

But IOC president Thomas Bach said he hoped clean athletes would "seize the opportunity" to compete in South Korea.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has already said the state will not stand in the way of athletes wanting to go to the Games in February.

Russia implemented a state-sponsored doping programme involving 1,000 athletes across 30 sports from 2011-2015, leading to the ban. But in announcing the sanction on Tuesday, the IOC also stressed it had a clear pathway for clean athletes to compete as individuals.