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> Russia’s Olympic team has been barred from the 2018 Winter Games [...] The country’s government officials are forbidden to attend

> Some Russian officials have threatened to boycott if the I.O.C. delivered such a severe punishment

I don't understand. So they threatened to boycott if they weren't allowed? Or am I reading words wrong?

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> I don't understand. So they threatened to boycott if they weren't allowed? Or am I reading words wrong?

Probably, they wanted to say that it does not make sense to participate if anyway you have no chances to win. Or maybe it does not make sense to participate as a no-name. Or, third hypothesis, it does not make to participate as a second-class athlete.

Boycott means they are not letting any of their athletes participate, including the ones who can do so under a neutral flag.

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