Russia must explain how it will implement its controversial anti-gay propaganda law and detail its impact on next year’s Sochi Winter Games, Olympic president Jacques Rogge said yesterday.

The International Olympic Committee want clarification of how the law will be applied, despite having received assurances from Games organisers, Rogge said.

Russia, hosts of the 2014 Winter Olympics in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, passed the law in June.

The ban has led some to call for a boycott of the Sochi Games and US President Barack Obama has also voiced his concern.

At a news conference in Moscow following a meeting between the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Council and the executive board of the IOC, and ahead of the start of the World Athletics Championships in the Russian capital today, Rogge said his body needed clarification over the English translation of the law.

“We have received all reassurances emanating from Mr Dmitry Kozak, who is in charge of the organisation of the Games in Sochi. We asked for written confirmation of these reassurances,” said Rogge.

“We received them yesterday, we have studied it this morning but there are still uncertainties and we have decided to ask for more clarification.

“So we are waiting for this clarification before having final judgement on these reassurances.”

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