Olympics-IOC executive recommends Russia not fly flag at Games

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea, Feb 25 (Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee's executive board has recommended Russian athletes not be allowed to march behind the national flag at the closing ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Game later on Sunday.

The board made the recommendation to its members after two Russian doping violations marred an otherwise clean report card for the Russian delegation at the Games.

Russians have been competing as neutral athletes at the Games, their Olympic status suspended, as IOC punishment for years of drug scandals involving allegations that Russia ran a systematic, state-backed drug-cheating programme.

IOC President Thomas Bach, in presenting the board's recommendation, told an IOC session at the Games that Russia's Olympic status should only be restored once it was confirmed the Russians committed no other doping violations at Pyeongchang. (Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Mark Bendeich and Peter Rutherford)