We're almost a week into the Olympics already and there's one question on everybody's mind: what is 'ROC' and what does it stand for?
ROC stands for the 'Russian Olympic Committee' and it's basically Russia's team without it being Russia's team. There are 335 athletes competing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics under the ROC.
Why aren't they just competing under their country's flag like all of the other countries you ask? Well, it's all down to Russia being a bit naughty in 2015, which led to them being banned from the Olympics.
What is ROC and why is Russia banned from the Olympics?
In 2015, an investigation by the World Anti-Doping Agency found over 1,000 Russian athletes were involved in state-sponsored doping programs between 2011-2015, and Russia was banned from competing in the Olympics.
So in Tokyo, Russian athletes are competing under the ROC. This means that Russian athletes can still compete at the Olympics, but they're not competing for Russia the country per se, as Russia is banned. They're also not allowed to show the Russian flag.
At the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games, Russia competed under the OAR, which stood for Olympic Athletes from Russia, again because Russia is banned from the Olympics.
Why is Russia still allowed to compete in the Olympics?
Quite understandably, spectators have been left puzzled by Russia's Olympic loophole which means that Russian athletes can still essentially compete.
Russian athletes who were found not to be involved in the doping scandals are still allowed to compete in the Olympics, but they have to remain neutral and they aren't allowed to represent Russia.
As mentioned, athletes competing under team ROC aren't allowed to wave a Russian flag, but they can wear a uniform with Russia's colours. If they win a gold medal though, the Russian national anthem will not be played.
How long is Russia banned from the Olympics for?
Russia was originally banned from the Olympics and any world championship sporting event for four years, but the ban was reduced to two years. That means that Russia can't compete in the Olympics until 16th December 2022, meaning the country will miss out on another Winter Olympics event, as Beijing 2022 takes place in February, months before the ban is up.
The next Olympic games Russia can enter as a country and not a neutral team is the Paris Olympics in 2024.
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