The “ROC,” or “Russian Olympic Committee,” is a group of athletes from Russia who are allowed to compete under this special designation because their country is banned due to a “state-sponsored doping program.”

Why are they called the Russian Olympic Committee?

Instead, the country will compete under the name "ROC", which is an acronym for the Russian Olympic Committee. This is due to the fact that Russia was sanctioned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after it was accused of running a state-backed doping program.

Why is it Russian Olympic Committee and not Russia?

The ROC, or Russian Olympic Committee, does not represent a country per se. Athletes from Russia can compete under the ROC designation, but not Russia itself because the country is banned. They also can't show the Russian flag.