Thursday 16 March 2017 09:00, UK
A senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) member has apologised over controversial comments he made about Russia's ban from competition.
Gian Franco Kasper, an IOC executive board member, said he was "truly sorry" for likening a blanket ban of Russians from the Winter Olympics to the Holocaust.
Kasper is among the world's most senior sports officials, as president of the International Ski Federation and the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations.
"It was an inappropriate and insensitive comment," the 73-year-old Swiss said in a statement.
"I apologise unreservedly for any offence I have caused. I am truly sorry."
The IOC came under fire last year when it stopped short of banning Russia outright from the Rio Olympics, and instead let individual sports federations decide which Russian athletes could compete.
"I'm fully against banning or punishing somebody because of his passport," Kasper said after the more controversial comments were broadcast.
"So next time you have a Mr. Smith who has doped, so all the Smiths of this world, wherever they come from, are automatically banned from participation.
"It's... the same (thing). We are here to protect the clean athlete, not punish the clean athlete."
