Georgia, Russia to stay at Games despite conflict

BEIJING (Reuters) – The Georgian and Russian Olympic teams have decided to stay on at the Beijing Games despite Russian military attacks on Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said.

“We had the update this morning from them .. we’re obviously delighted and very much welcome the decision they’ve taken today to continue here at the Olympic Games,” IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies told a news conference on Sunday.

She added that the National Olympic Committees of both countries had made it clear that their team members would compete in the spirit of “respect of athlete for athlete”, and “if they are drawn against each other they are drawn against each other”.