Russian government backing 2028 Olympic bid
Sochi's 2014 Winter Olympics was tainted by claims of Russian doping, but the city has been put forward as a potential Summer Games host.
Russia could launch a bid to host the 2028 Olympic Games, with government backing for one of three potential host cities, despite the continuing fallout from the country's doping scandal.
Russian athletes were barred from the 2016 Summer Games in Rio over state-sponsored doping that "corrupted on an unprecedented scale" the 2012 London Olympics and was also prevalent at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.
Perhaps optimistically, Sochi has been mentioned as one of three cities that could host the Olympics in 2028, along with Kazan and St Petersburg, which seems to have the backing of Russia's government after the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) posted a tweet to that effect on Tuesday.
"There are several cities across Russia ready for hosting the Summer Olympics and they are Kazan, Sochi and St. Petersburg," ROC president Alexander Zhukov was quoted as saying by TASS.
"These cities are capable of submitting bids.
"We have a good experience of hosting the Games in Sochi. I am positive that Russia is able to host major sports competitions at the highest possible level."
The IAAF confirmed on Monday that Russia's exile from athletics will remain in place for this year's World Championships in London.
Russia's anti-doping association has expressed confidence it will be ready for full reinstatement by WADA in November this year.
Russia's deputy prime minister Vitaly Mutko - sports minister at the height of the doping scandal - was criticised by the IAAF's taskforce on Monday over "unhelpful comments".
However, Mutko appeared to strike a conciliatory tone on Tuesday when he hit out at coaches in Russia who still practice doping - an issue raised by the taskforce on Monday.
"Athletes broke rules and many coaches don't understand how to work without doping — it's time for them to retire," Mutko is quoted by R-Sport.