IOC 'Fully Satisfied' Over Russia's Antigay Law

The head of the IOC Coordination Commission for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Jean-Claude Killy (right), with Russian President Vladimir Putin (file photo)

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) says it is "fully satisfied" that Russia's law banning "gay propaganda" does not violate the antidiscrimination guarantees of the Olympic Charter.

Russian officials insist that the controversial law is designed to protect children and is not discriminatory.

Speaking on September 26 in Sochi, the chairman of the IOC's Coordination Commission, Jean-Claude Killy, said that "the IOC doesn't have the right to discuss the...laws that are in place in the country hosting the games" unless the Olympic Charter is clearly violated.

The IOC's Coordination Commission is making its final visit to Sochi ahead of the Winter Olympics, scheduled to begin in the Black Sea resort in February.

Construction is still taking place, but Killy said "Sochi is not late by any means," adding, "everything is really magnificent."


Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP